Open Chronicles From Alliria to Heilige Stad

[Ferelith Scathach]

Should Hannah or Vestoffs men not be paying attention she would miss a few key facts about the forest she was running in. Mainly the booby traps that littered the forest.

This was after all bandit territory. Off the beaten path was were the real suckers were. If you didn’t know who’s woods this was you were due for a short visit to begin With. Ferelith and Alexi were patrolling. Ferelith sporting a black eye that was healing as she walked.

“She’s such a bitch ..” Ferelith complained. Kyla had not taken her report well. Other people? Operating in her woods? And they didn’t attack? With the caravan already under attack? Yes..She hadn’t taken it well in the least. “You know how your sister is. Maybe if we...” Alexi began when the drow suddenly paused.

“Footsteps.” She said pulling Ferelith into some shrubbery. that was when she saw..something?

Coming towards them.

“There are others.” She said noting how further behind the black shape men much less stealthy were following behind. A few more feet and every one of them would have something to contend with.

Hahnah with a covered pit of spikes.

Should she jump it a covered net would be there to meet her as well. Vestoffs men would find many a tripwire with wicked spikes driven through them to punch into anyone unlucky enough to trigger it. As well a a scattering of other nefarious traps awaiting them compliments of Alexi. “Ready your bow.” She hissed at Ferelith where they lay.

 

[Hahnah]

Vestof's eyes were constantly bouncing up, then down, up, then down. Looking ahead to where he was going, looking down and gathering what sign he could of the monster's passing. It wasn't easy. A combination of assuming the monster had taken the routes of least resistance, tangible disturbances in the forest floor, and plain old hunch-fueled guesswork kept him on (what he hoped) to be the correct trail. At least in the right direction.

His course had indeed deviated to an extent from Hahnah's, off to a slight tangent. And this brought him and his men close to an obstacle that had not impeded her.

"Hooooo--!" Vestof shouted as he slid to a stop and held out a hand, gesturing for his two men to stop as well. "Hold up."

"What?" said the driver.

The third man: "The hell? That a--?"

"Tripwire," said Vestof.

"I don't see no camp 'round here," said the driver. "Somebody set it up and forget?"

Vestof shook his head. "Don't matter. Watch your step from here and--"

Then the three of them heard a scream of pain. Not far.

* * * * *​

Hahnah was concerned only with gaining distance. There were too many humans around the caravan. She could not slay them all--not all at once. She needed to make them think that she had gone. If the men who captured her followed, and if they followed without the many of the caravan, then good. It was good. She could kill them while they were weak and alone. And then she could stalk the caravan. She could protect the elves of Falwood by slaying the profane who would murder them.

Hahnah did not see the covered pit of spikes. Even if she had been looking directly at it, she would not have thought much of it. She had no concept of what it would even be, for she had not constructed any traps herself nor had her caretakers nor had she seen anyone else do so.

So she stepped forward without fear or worry, not even breaking her running stride.

And fell forward as her foot did not touch solid ground. The leaves and brush used to conceal the trap seemed to swallow her up.

Sharp and immediate pain. Bursting through her left thigh, her stomach, her chest, her right shoulder as spikes mortally impaled her through each. Lacerations--across her arms, her legs, her cheek--marked half a dozen places where spikes narrowly missed impaling her further. And last, all of the air was knocked from her lungs as she hit the base of the pit flat on her face.

There was a moment of still shock. When Hahnah did not know what had happened, and did not yet register the pain. Then it came. All at once it came. The blaring agony of her injuries whited out all thought in her mind.

And she screamed in pain.

She tried to plant her palms to push herself up, awkwardly maneuvering her hands around the other spikes in the pit. Blood was gathering somewhere in the base of her throat (and she could feel it leaking out where she had been impaled). She could only plant her left hand--her right arm couldn't move well with the shoulder impaled. She tried to push herself up with one arm. And a pitiful, gurgling moan escaped her mouth as she failed, as a retaliatory lightning bolt of anguish kept her from it. The tendrils of her Living Armor started waving about, like seaweed in an ocean current, the gestalt intelligence among them puzzling out what had happened and why it did not detect danger until it was too late and what it should do to remedy the problem.

Her wet breathing quickened as panic began to settle in.

She did not want to die here.

Please.

Ferelith Scathach Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr Tzuriel Alanthis alphabunny

 

[Tozen]

A scream... A primal cry of pain...

An axe shaped head rose in interest and sniffed the air... Blood, lots of blood, many dead, a wounded cry of pain, not far.
A humanoid creature stretched its taught muscles like a cat as it lounged in its perch on a high tree branch and yawned cavernously revealing an impressive array of meat tearing teeth.
Curiosity brought him to the hunt this time, humans are a bit gamey and not that appetizing once all of their essence is gone. He knew the scent of human well and had recently left one hanging by his entrails, a useless human, no useful essence, he died pitifully and was left without his weak flesh consumed or used.

But not all the scents carried on the air were human, and those scents intrigued him.
He sprung from his branch that was his napping spot and landed on a branch in the next tree, moving with the agility of a cat and the speed of a monkey he traveled from tree to tree to hunt whatever prey revealed itself to him.

Tozen, the Forest Reaper as the local banditry had taken to calling him since actually spotting him to identify him hasn't yet been achieved by anyone alive.
He leapt from tree to tree, his claws catching hold of the trunk, branches and bark giving him a base to leap off into the air to catch the next tree.

He didn't have to go far before he found the scent of humans hidden in the brush down below. He recognized their scent as some of the bandits that called this part of the forest home. He had stalked them from time to time but since humans had little to offer him or his kind he generally left them alone unless a special occasion showed up.
Sacrificing speed for stealth he crept silently along the tree branches and observed what had gone on... It seemed another creature, not quite human, possibly elf? but still not quite, had fallen into one of the bandits many traps.
He was familiar with such traps unlike this creature, experience is a powerful teacher.

He turned his head sharply, another group was nearby, human.
His reptilian eyes narrowed, it seemed to him like he intercepted another hunt going on... Well this is where the hunters became the hunted.
His bait was already set, the creature in the spike trap. Whichever group came forward first to appraise their catch would be his prey...

Spoiler: Whoever checks on Hahnah

As soon as they came into view he would drop from a tree behind them. Without hesitation savage claws will begin to rend anything in his way.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“The hell was that...” Ferelith turned slightly from the men she had been aiming at. “Pit eight got something.” Alexi said quickly her mind recalling its exact placement. “Check it then. If it’s one of his men and he’s still breathing bring them back up with you. Leverage is leverage is-.”

“Leverage.” Alexi said finishing Fereliths sentence for her slightly annoyed.

“I know.” She continued pulling open a covered hatch opening to the tunnels.

“If I wanted someone to quote your sisters proverbs I would have brought Miles. Just be ready to shoot. At anything. You know the reaper hunts this time of night. Don’t provoke it, but don’t let it get you.”

She said Before vanishing into the darkness below leaving a rather miffed Ferelith to bite back a retort as the men grew closer drawn to the noise. “Get ready to shoooott..At annnnyyythiing.” She imitated in a very unseemly impression of her drow companion.

Inside the tunnels the drow made her way to the pit. Different tunnels branched off from her own.

Each leading to a different spike pit or hatch. The drow felt at home down here. Not like when she was on the surface. It felt so...wrong...to not have a ceiling above her head and cold earth beneath her feet. She came to the pit quickly and popped open the openings cover at the bottom to find.. “what the hell..”

She didn’t know what she was looking at but it wasn’t a man..or even a woman for that matter..at least she didn’t think so..it must just be some stupid animal. They fell in occasionally. The drow looked at the furry thing. Her heart was always soft for animals. Maybe it was part of the caravans cargo and had escaped in the chaos leading those men to hunt it back down.

“You seem in a bit of a predicament..just be easy girl...easy.. this is going to hurt but I’ll get you out of this thing and patched up..” She said not expecting a response but talking calmly in a soothing tone few had ever heard enter her voice.

Alexi was not a kind person, and no one had ever accused her of such. But that was people. Animals couldn’t drive a knife into your back. “Your a weird little thing aren’t yah..” she said slipping into the pit. Her feet knowing where to find purchase.

Spoiler: To anyone watching from trees.

We do not advise dropping into a spike pit. If angered please feel free to take out your rage on humans who will undoubtedly be surrounding said pit shortly.
Thank you.

Sincerely, The bandits.

 

[Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr]

(OOC: ah, the Forest Reaper finally arrives on the scene! I was worried the anticipation would kill me first, things should get interesting now...)

Cauldwin had gone to the midsection of the caravan with the she-elf called Rou to tend her wounds, and as he had seen, the attack had left more than a few of his charges in a state that needed a degree of medical attention beyond just rudimentary wrappings and poorly done dressings.

As he walked up to one of the still half black crystal covering, he pulled out a crate and pointed to it, saying to Rou in the golem's robotic voice, "Rou: sit here." He then commandeered a basket of relatively unused linens, smoothed timber, a sewing kit, and a tinder box in preparation of the injury treatments.

Hahnah alphabunny Tzuriel Alanthis
Ferelith Scathach

Tozen​

 

[Hahnah]

The pain was enormous. Blinding. It was as if her entire being was concentrated around the four points through which she had been impaled, and these four points crackled relentlessly with torment.

Yet a desperate desire radiated above the searing white agony.

Hahnah lifted her head up, getting her face out of the dirt and resting her chin on the pit's base. She slid her left hand in front of herself. Tried to do the same with her right. But she could not. Not with how she had fallen and with a spike skewering her shoulder. Her right arm remained in the vicinity of her side.

All she wanted to do was pray. And yet she could not even do that properly.

A voice: You seem in a bit of a predicament..

Hahnah looked for the speaker, orange eyes searching. She feared it would be one of them. One of the humans from the caravan. She feared that they had found her, and that she would not be able to fight back. It did not occur to her that the speaker was female, that the speaker had said that she would get Hahnah out of this thing and patched up. Reason, rationality, these were the first casualties of wild desperation.

Knives of Elemental Hatred, three in total, formed and floated around Hahnah's head. But the magic blades quivered and wobbled, and when Hahnah gave a small flick of her left hand the Knives went careening off in haphazard directions--hitting and dissipating against the earthen wall of the pit. Even if they had struck Alexi, the magic would have been harmless to the drow.

Hahnah was about to try to conjure more when Alexi dropped down into the pit, and Hahnah's eyes found her at last. A frightened, desperate, and guarded gaze. The only clear thought that gained purchase in her agonized mind was that Alexi was not human. But there were some in the caravan who were not human.

"Are you...?"

Going to kill me? Hahnah was not able to complete her sentence. A gurgle overcame her words, and bubbly red blood leaked out of her mouth, spilling down from one corner and then the other and then over her bottom lip entirely. She looked down with her eyes even though it was impossible for her to see it, to see her chin now awash in blood.

All the while, Hahnah's feet and toes spasmed. The fingers of her right hand twitched. The strands of her Living Armor--the "fur"--began to slither like twining snakes around the spikes that poked through Hahnah's body, growing and stretching and searching.

From up above the edge of the pit, a man shouting: "Son of a bitch!"

* * * * *​

Vestof and his two men stalked through the forest in the direction of the scream. Best sign he could have ever hoped for, that. They were sidestepping all sorts of godsdamned traps out here--one here, one there. Who the hell had the time? And what was so godsdamned important out in the middle of nowhere to warrant this? Nevermind it. Point being, the monster probably done went and stumbled into one of those traps they were skirting around.

And if Vestof was lucky, the trap halfway did his job for him already. All he'd have to do would be to arrive on the scene and put the creature down. He told Mister Alanthis that he'd kill the damn thing if it came to it, and that was a guarantee Vestof Stringin was gonna ensure.

They closed in. Saw the strange hole sticking out like a sore thumb from the surrounding environs. Hole? Hell, wait, that wasn't no hole, that was an actual no-shit pit. Meanin' somebody had to damn well dig that thing. Same somebody who set up all the rest of the widowmakers around here, Vestof reckoned.

Vestof and his men had their crossbows up and ready. Slowly approached the edge of the pit.

THUMP.

Before any of the men had a chance to register the sound, Tozen was upon them. Vestof shouted, "Son of a bitch!" as the driver was slain first, the dead man's crossbow going off and the bolt sailing almost perfectly straight up toward the sky. Both Vestof and the third man loosed their ice-magic-tipped crossbow bolts at Tozen. Vestof, a practical man, bought himself some time by hopping back behind the third man. Drawing his sword as the third man was rent savagely by claws. He almost had enough time to apply some fireoil to his weapon and set the blade on fire. Almost.

But Tozen's ambush succeeded.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr alphabunny

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

The knives almost made her nope out of there right then. One slamming right between her eyes as the others careened off in random directions. But it phased through her harmlessly.

“Magic?” She wondered aloud steadying herself she continued.

Whatever this thing was it had been running from something.

“Ok..keep it together girl..” She said calmly as her eyes finally got a good look at the thing as well.

An elf? She wasn’t sure. But the fact it wasn’t an animal explained the magic dagger illusion and meant she needed to double her efforts.

“Are you...”

It asked.
No...not it.

Her..

She found it jarring to here her speak. Even though she had confirmed she was indeed not an animal and speech should come pat the course...Something was not adding up in her mind.

That was when she noticed the fur.

Fourtunas left breast it was moving..Writhing..again she felt a kind of repulsion for a moment before a pitiful gurgle escaped the firlslips. Her blood already pooling underneath her.

“No. I’m not going to do anything but get you out of here. Whatever your running from won’t follow you.” She said softly.

She wrapped her arms around the girl slowly. Watching the hairs writhe and react to her made her grateful for her leather gloves and sleeves. But regardless she pulled her up the spikes gently and slowly As to not cause further damage. Right at the tip of the spikes she said gently “take a deep breath and don’t flinch little one.” She warned before finally pulling her free with a quick tug. She held her in her arms like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold for a moment.

Catching her own breath.

“It’s bloody but it seems like it didn’t hit anything vital...I think...your lucky...as funny as I’m sure that sounds..” She said with a grim chuckle.

“Let’s get you somewhere you can rest and heal. If you don’t trust I don’t blame you but I don’t think you have a-.”

“son of a bitch!”

That was when she heard it. What really made her blood run cold.
The reaper.

“Let’s go. Ferelith!” She yelled from pit. Ducking into the tunnel and holding Hahnah close she pulled the hatch closed behind her.

Ferelith dropped down in front of her using the same hatch she had used to enter earlier.

“So is it one of his..What is that?” Ferelith said recoiling.

“It’s an elf..I..I think...” Alexi said keeping a firm but gentle grip on her new found charge. She shook her head for a moment clearing her mind as the sound of slaughter came from above the pit.

“Reaper?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. Ferelith looked a shade paler than normal being reminded of the part she had witnessed of what was now continuing above them.

“I mercy killed the last guy. It killed the others relatively quickly, but if it’s discarded “toys” are anything to go off of that man should pay me a queens ransom for wasting an arrow on his neck.” She said as Alexi nodded.

“Anyway that’s beside the point. We have to get her to Bella. She’ll patch her up.” Alexi said carrying further in.

“Go ahead and give her a bit of a warning we’re coming in with some one injured.” Alexi said as Ferelith nodded and ran ahead leaving the drow to walk after her.

“You are going to be alright little one. Just hang in there ok?” She said giving the creature a gentle smile. In all honesty she hoped the girl..creature..was ok but in all honesty she simply wasn’t sure. Not that any of that doubt showed in her reassuring smile she was exhibiting for the girl as they made their way deeper. “Got a name?” She asked after a few moments of walking through the tunnels.

Twists and turns meeting them like the inside of a massive snake. There were no torches in the pit checking part of the tunnels but as they made their way further in the dark, muddy, and cramped tunnels soon gave way to more roomy torch lit stone.

They passed weapon crates, cases of potions long sense banned by various authorities in various places depending where you went. She scooped one out of the case giving it a shake with her free hand she popped the cork and put the flask to the girls lips.

“It helps pain. It should hold you until you get to Bella..” she said waiting for the girl to take it or not. If she did she would feel an almost euphoric numbness spread from her throat to the rest of her body. Her mind would feel a warm and fuzzy calm almost forcibly take control of her brain as the pain melted into obscure aches that didn’t seem to translate to what the wounds should be making her feel.

If not either way Alexi would take the flask when she was either finished drinking or decided to reject it and would down the rest of the bottle herself. A shiver running up her spine as her shoulders relaxed and her pupils expanded for a few moments. She continued her walk tossing the flask casually against the nearest wall causing it to shatter.

“Almost there little one.” She said with a slight slur to her speech. Her tolerance to the potion already beginning to sober her up.

 

[Tozen]

The humans entered the ambush zone first to examine the pit. Four of them. And as planned, Tozen dropped in behind them with a thump, his curved climbing claws unsheathed and thrust into the back of the driver. With a sickening sound of bone snapping and flesh tearing he bisected the man and literally tore THROUGH him, lunging between the two halves of the man to attack the remaining three with blinding quickness only enhanced by the fading light.

Their reactions were quick, these creatures must have survived ambushes before. The two hunters fired their crossbows, one bolt sailed mere inches past his face and hit the tree behind him, the other pierced his left arm and ice quickly formed along the appendage all the way up to his shoulder. But a claw encased in ice simply became a club in the mind of this animal intent on killing.
Before they could drop their crossbows to draw their weapons Tozen was upon them, his free claws slipped through the soft throat of the first and the ice covered club hand smashed the face of the second.
They all fell in mere moments.

The last man was fumbling with a bottle and his sword. Tozen was familiar enough with potions that whatever was in this bottle was nothing good if he allowed the man to use it for himself...
He grabbed the bottle with his free hand and crushed it...

Blinding light erupted from his claw in the twilight darkness of the forest. Fire blazed from his claw and similar to the ice traveled up his arm to his shoulder. He hissed in surprise but didn't seem overly concerned about his limbs. If the fire oil burned him he didn't seem to register, and if the potion enchanted his arm instead of the blade it didn't matter.
He stood before the lead hunter, his left arm encased in ice, his right arm wreathed in flames. Before his adaptive physiology took effect and caused the ice to slip off like a glove and caused the fire to flicker out and die.

When the flames died it grew darker once again, the only thing the hunter could clearly see is the creatures glowing reptilian eyes that stared into his soul... For the brief moment it took for Tozens eyes to readjust to the dim lighting.
Chitin armored fists broke the blade, and curved claws slid through his flesh like a knife through butter.

In the end, the hunter died a hunter... By the claws of a monster that he simply couldn't overcome.

___________________________​

After slaying the hunters Tozen went himself went to look in the pit...

... The non-human was gone...

But her blood left a clear path to follow. Thesmell of the bandits had moved away, but the unique and unknown smell of the creature's blood was fresh.
He dropped down into the pit, avoiding the spikes and landing on all fours. He sniffed the pool of blood, tasted the essence on his tongue and his eyes scanned the pit. The blood trail doesn't leave the pit... But goes into the wall.

He went to the spot and tested the wall with his claws, there was definitely a door here. Even though he preferred the arboreal as opposed to the subterranean he wasn't about to simply allow this essence to escape unchallenged. He started digging through whatever the door was made out of and found the tunnel with the easy trail of blood to follow.

And follow it he did as the predator tracks down his prey.

 

[Tzuriel Alanthis]

Ajax was kept busy by the caravan, making sure everyone had at least basic first aid before preparing to go. At this rate they wouldn't make it to the next village before their horses started stumbling in the dark, they'll be camping on the side of the road tonight and licking their wounds.
As per usual he was in a general foul mood. This attack cost them time and it looks like the monster and its keepers were nowhere to be found.
They left the caged cart on the side of the road and let the horses pasture nearby incase they came back.

Ajax went up and down the line grumbling between asking the drivers and their protectors if they were alright and if they were ready to go.
"Damn bandits... Time is money... Wasting our time like this... Damn them... Least they left the horses alone... Damn fire magic..."
He went back to the lead wagon and his loud voice boomed all the way to the back, "FORWARD HO!"
With that the caravan was once more under way.

 

[Hahnah]

"AHHHHHHHRRRRRGGGGGHHHAAA!"

Hahnah had cried out once Alexi lifted her up and off of the spikes--this after coughing out a spurt of blood that cleared her throat. Her feet and her toes twitched. Her body spasmed, shoulders quivering and hitching. A numbness and a coldness began to settle in to her extremities. She couldn't keep her eyes fully open.

Blackness ringed the edges of Hahnah's vision.

Voices and sounds were growing distant, as if she were slowly falling away from them.

A spinning lightheadedness impeded her awareness of many things.

There was the nearby smell of humans. But she could no longer concentrate enough to call upon her magic and kill them.

Hahnah was moving. But not of her own power. There was a ceiling of stone above her that she could see. Barely. It was dark. And she could now hardly keep her eyes open at all.

Something touched her lips. Glass. She didn't drink. Couldn't. Hahnah gargled blood--close to choking on it. A wet and wheezing sound was coming from the hole in her chest, from her punctured lung. Nearby strands of her Living Armor probed the bloody holes like a legion of insectoid feelers.

Hahnah's left eye was trembling shut, her right half-closed.

Color was draining out of her lips. Matching the growing pallor in her face.

* * * * *​

Something unique in the taste of Hahnah's blood for Tozen.

And something familiar. Something quite common upon Arethil.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr alphabunny

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

Alexi looked down at the girl as she rejected the potion. Her eyes clearing she seemed to realize the color was leaving her features and the blood filling her mouth once more.

She was far worse than the drow had accounted for.

“Damn it.” She cursed tilting the girls head to clear her throat of blood before setting her down. Pulling off her cloak she only seemed to regret it for a moment before cutting it into strips with her knife wrapping what she could as many times as she could. It wasn’t much but she should stop losing AS much blood as she was before.

She was about to pick the girl back up when she heard the sound of claws digging into wood. No. He usually left them alone. Her eyes foucused on the tunnel entrance she had just left and glanced at how much farther they had to go.

“Ok little one time to move this along.” She said quickly picking her up and remembering to keep her head tilted in a way that her throat could remain clear of blood. Foot steps ahead of her as Ferelith Came bolting up

“She’s ready. I told her it was Miles so she would actually get ready instead of lounging for thirty minutes and-mmph!” She was speaking as the drow slammed a hand over her mouth.

“Cover us.” Was all she was able to say before her ears picked up on something coming up the tunnel behind them. Ferelith heard it too. Her fuming confusion replaced by alertness as the drow passed her and removed her hand.

“Great.” She muttered sarcastically drawing her claymore and backing up to the supply tunnels exit.

“There’s easier food out there friend. You don’t want this dance.” She warned the darkness.

The slightest of a quiver entering her tone. The exit was close but the poorly lit tunnel loomed in front of her. Alexi hadnt said what was coming. She didn’t have to. Ferelith was the one that had seen the carnage.

She knew no hunter was coming after them.

Her hand tightened around her swords handle.

 

[Hahnah]

The blood currently collected in Hahnah's throat spilled and dribbled out of her mouth once her head was turned. She coughed. Breathed, and a hissing sound came from the wound in her chest.

The strands of Hahnah's Living Armor--those near the entry and exit wounds for her impalements--probed at the makeshift bandages once they were applied. After some time the strands entwined about one another and pressed down on the bandages, applying hard pressure in a bid to stop the external bleeding.

Hahnah couldn't open her left eye. And had fierce trouble now in keeping her right from closing.

There were still those people talking. To her or not to her. It did not matter. To Hahnah they sounded as distant as if they were down the length of a tunnel, their words unintelligible.

Consciousness was beginning to slip from her grasp.

And she thought in a delirious way that she was back in the Temple. Starving to death in the dark and too weak to move.

Tozen Ferelith Scathach Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr alphabunny

 

[Tozen]

The essence in the blood was familiar yet unique, perhaps its base was of a creature he'd tasted before but it was so overlaid with additional strong essence that it became unique.
Once he broke into the tunnel and his eyes adjusted to the pitch darkness he began stalking his prey, following the trail of blood down the tunnel till he saw the light up ahead.

A human stood in the light with her weapons ready. He knew her scent specifically, he had purposely chosen not to kill her on several occasions when he stalked the humans through the woods in days past.
Her scent didn't immediately reveal anything unique about her but instinct advised him to respect a strong warrior.
He stalked forward on silent feet, walking on all fours to lower his profile and primed him for lunging. She stood illuminated in the light while he remained hidden in the dark.

His eyes reflected some of the lamp light as he slowly stalked forward. He was calculating his options. This was a fight his instincts told him to avoid, but the direct challenge was before him, he could disable her and move on, or he could taste her essence and see what made her special, turning back wasn't and option...
The glowing eyes regarded her for a long moment blinking and examining with cunning intelligence. There was curiosity there, intrigue, then a membrane covered the glow of his eyes and his exact location wasn't discernable...

Bone spines began firing out of the darkness like crossbow bolts, striking the lamps one by one, slowly making the hall dark as the tunnel.

Spoiler: Retaliation?

If Ferelith were to seek him out he will be waiting on the ceiling of the tunnel ready to drop down on top of her.

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

Ferelith smirked as she saw the glint of his eyes. “Common then.” She goaded. “You’ve been following me around now and again so let’s just settle up.” Then the glints were gone. “Wait..where’d you-..” the whistling caught her ear first and she almost made it to the ground before the spines began striking...the lights?

“Damnit! Mak shelah neg den mey reaper.” She cursed in her tribes tongue as she landed on the ground as more fired above her sniffing every light source. she stood once the onslaught subsided.

Every neuron in her brain telling her to go attack and yet as she started a cold dread filled her. She felt his eyes on her and yet she could not place his position. She held her ground.

He would have to pass her to get further in. “Shnek lav meskah hau nak.” She continued in her tribes tongue. She and her sister always spoke it when they hunted. It took less work to remember what to say and it wasn’t like she was speaking for the benefit of the creature.

Creature couldn’t understand common any more than the understood her tribes tongue so it didn’t matter what she said. It did matter how she said it. Intimidating and unafraid “Even the darkness won’t save you from me.” Was a loose translation.

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

“Bella!” Alexi crashed into the infirmary. The blonde sleepy eyed elf looked up from her desk where she had been taking quite the nap.

“Oh yes Ferelith told me you were coming in with-..” The elf said in her usual slow and sleepy tone before her eyes widened at the sight of the thing before her. “What is that?” She asked pulling off the bandages and running her fingers gently over the living fur. “I’m uh..I’m not sure..an elf? I think?” Alexi answered waving dismissively as the healer further examined the wounds. Finally she simpky nodded.

“Ok.. you know the drill.. Those holes look like they hurt..are you sure you..” She began but Alexi looked at the girl on the table. Barely able to keep her right eye open.

A flash.

It was her sister..

“Lexi..” a voice whispered in her thoughts that was not her own. “Save your sister Lexi..Please..” The voice was her youngest sisters. Killed by a bandit gang raiding a village long ago. Alexi herself had only been 13. Just old enough to rape and sell off..Just like the others.. but something was off about the voice. She almost inquired before Hannah gave another pitiful gurgle and she took Bella’s hand.

“Do it.” She said as Bella then placed a hand on the girl. The wounds began to close on the girl as they began to appear on Alexi. She wheezed and struggled to stand as the holes opened wider and wider until they matched Hahnahs own and the girls were completely gone. She would be extremely tired from the ordeal but when she did awake she would find she felt much better.

Alexi on the other hand slumped to the ground wheezing and fighting to keep her own eyes open. Bella took a small flask from her pocket and knelt next to her. “Drink up. Your arcane energy is running low.” She said as she tilted the bottle and brought it to her lips. After a couple of sips Alexis own wounds were now healing.
She coughed a glob of blood from the back of her throat and slowly stood back up.

“I know you can make that stuff palatable. Why do you make them so disgusting.” She complained wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “Because you hate it.” She said sleepily followed by a yawn so obnoxiously contagious that Alexi found herself yawning despite actively fighting against it. She left and headed back to where she left Ferelith. Leaving the thing...The elf. Leaving the elf with that sleepy ditzy demon of a healer. Great. She rushed down the supply tunnel her steps clacking in the hard stone.

 

[Hahnah]

The wounds were transferred, the pain associated with them fleeing as well. A small infiltration of blood remained inside one of Hahnah's lungs and the lightheadedness from overall blood loss did not yet abate. Delirium still clouded Hahnah's mind at present.

But the mortal wounds were gone. The strands of her Living Armor stopped applying pressure to where her wounds had once been, shrunk and slithered back to their normal dwelling upon her body, and went inert. Appearing as ordinary as regular fur once more.

Her right eye was almost closed now. Only a small fraction of the red and orange visible.

Hahnah's lips moved. Slurred words, unintelligible, rode the exhales of single breaths. Her fingers made tiny, curling motions. Curling. Relaxing. Curling. Relaxing.

It was an attempt as in vain as it was involuntary; Hahnah was trying to pray.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen

 

[Tozen]

A low rumble echoed down the tunnel in response to the humans undaunted tone, all at once like that of a lion, bull, possibly even like a dragon as a form of mimicry, and even a sort of clicking sound like that of a giant bug. But the result was a loud vibration at first seeming to originate from directly in front of her, but then moving quickly to her left to draw her attention while the true attack came from the right.

Tozen could understand the common tongue, he was human once himself. But even though many of his human memories were suppressed he still maintained an understanding of language. It was rare moments when he would revert from his animalistic instincts and return to some semblance of his right mind, but for now pure instinct drove him.
He feinted to her left with his voice to shift her attention if only slightly, but his true attack came from the right, a wide swipe with his claws aimed at her shoulder.

His claws were only an addition to his strike, he intended to use his brute strength to slam her to the side of the tunnel, thus opening the way for him to continue to pursue his prey.

 

[Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr]

(I think Alphabunny called it quits, so I'll follow up later.)

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“What the..” Ferelith began at the symphony of animal noises that met her ear as she shifted to the left only to be slammed by a clawed hand on her right. The claws dug into her i armored shoulder as she cursed. Her own instincts seeing the real goal of the attack even if her brain didn’t process it fully. She grabbed the clawed hand. “I said you didn’t want this dance friend. But that doesn’t mean you get to pick a new partner!” She yelled tightening her hold and even allowing the claws to sink deeper she grit her teeth and turned clockwise into the beast delivering her own savage blow to it stomach before trying to take it down. Her blood flowed freely. The arcane energy fueling her healing and strength depleting at a more rapid rate but her blood while in normal day light would only give off a slight blue sparkle. In the darkness of the cave however it flowed with a bright luminous blue that coated the wall. “Ferelith!” Alexi came into the supply tunnel only to be greeted by darkness. Save for the glow of her friends blood and the sounds of the scuffle Alexi was lost as to where her friend and by extension whatever she was fighting where exactly.

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

The sleepy healer watched the proceedings. Her expression souring at the sight of the girls action. “You would invoke that name here? In the presence of me?” She asked knowing she would revive no response. “Maybe I should do the world a favor and end you here...” She contemplated.. her eyes glancing at the various “surgical.” Knives she had about the place. “Surgical” being the kinder term as that’s what they were used for....occasionally..

 

[Hahnah]

Born.

The Temple is dark and quiet. There are the slick, wet, sticky sounds of the fluids and the films and the mucuses. On the ground. On her body. Between her Mother's legs. She has been outside her Mother's womb and upon Arethil for only a minute. Like a newborn calf, she can stand. Walk. See. There are many things she can do.

The Temple is filled with a scent she would come to know as dead humans.

She is hungry. And she knows what to do.

After her first meal, there is an instinct of gratitude. An unshaped thing, this instinct. It would be refined in the years to come. When she would learn how to speak and how to pray.

* * * * *​

Hahnah lay on the table, delirious and only just conscious. Unaware of anything Bella has said.

Her hands and arms remained limp at her sides, fingers curling and relaxing asymmetrically. Unintelligible words escaping her lips in sporadic occurrences.

Ferelith Scathach Tozen

 

[Tozen]

“I said you didn’t want this dance friend. But that doesn’t mean you get to pick a new partner!”

She grabbed hold of him in an attempt to keep him from leaving. His claws tore through her armor, but her blood was strange, it glowed in the dark with some sort of phosphorescence. This piqued his interest.
She moved to strike him in the stomach but they were too close for her to bring the blade of her claymore to full effect so it was the pommel of her weapon that made contact with his trunk, a poor place to attack, his muscles were hard and he absorbed the blow easily.

Her glowing blood coated the claws of his right hand, attacks with that claw would be visible now. Her inhuman strength caught him off guard and he was surprised that he couldn't simply brush her aside. But he still had the advantage, he could see her clearly while she only saw in part.
He retracted his claws from her shoulder for a brief moment only to extend them once more back into the glowing wound, this coupled with his now crushing grip on her arm sent his claws deep into her flesh and one claw hit bone.
His other unbloodied claw came up, but he struck with the heel of his palm to the underside of her chin where he then quickly covered her face with his hand and shoved her head to the wall.

The rattling hiss was right in front of her face as he opened his mouth to bite her shoulder and taste her essence... But he was interrupted as the elf returned and called out the humans name.

“Ferelith!”

He paused to assess the new opponent. His vision in the dark was black and white, he could see the splotches of blood like glowing patches of pure white in his vision. The dark elf entered the tunnel but didn't seem to have any weapons drawn yet.

He hesitated to decide his next course of action, which left him open.

 

[Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr]

After patching up Rou's arm, the Golem went on to patch up the rest of the severely wounded the best he knew how, by the time he was done patching up the crews night fell. He then assisted in repairing all of the mostly intact wagons and moving the intact cargo from the wagons that were too damaged to move. He went through them one by one with the free caravan hands until he came across the covered wagon that had drawn quite a bit of concern from him when this trip began.

It hadn't been burned, and yet, something had... dismantled the back. Looking into the wagon he the disassembled shackles, lightly shed hair or roots left in the gaps of the shackles and ropes, and claw marks. His instincts were correct, those lying bastards were trying to bring a foreign creature though Alliria. He recalled that cunt at the front of the wagon, the Golem was going to greatly enjoy introducing him to ol' Lady Guillotine for the mountain of charges on his head for these transgressions.

"FORWARD HO!"

Celestials damn it, he thought to himself. The caravan master wanted things moving again, and the Golem was duty bound to watch and protect the caravan. He still hadn't reported the things he saw in the marshes and on top of things the fugitives and their potentially dangerous chattel had to be contended with for the caravans safety as well as Alliria's... the Golem began sprinting for the front of the caravan, he needed to speak with the caravan master immediately.

Hahnah Tzuriel Alanthis
Ferelith Scathach Tozen

 

[alphabunny]

Spoiler: OOC NOTE

super sorry for being inactive, is the thread still alive?

 

[alphabunny]

(I think Alphabunny called it quits, so I'll follow up later.)

( OOI DONT LEAVE ME IM HERE HOLD ON)

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Ah!” Ferelith cried out as the claw sunk even deeper. She felt the sickly feeling of the sharp tools of death pushing against her bone. “Stupid fu-mmph!” She began before her face was blocked by a hand slamming her into the wall behind her. Hanging there she struggled. Her claymore clattered to the ground as true gripped her heart as she heard the rattling hiss and braced for the bite.

“Ferelith!” A pause. An opening. She grit her teeth as the beast would suddenly find two boots planted as high as Ferelith’s frame could reach on the creature. Using the fact she was pinned against the wall she drew both of her knees to her chin before delivering a powerful kick like a cowed horse. She would keep hold of the creatures wrist hoping to tackle it to the ground she would mount and try to rain a few blows into the creatures head. Darkness not aiding in her effort, but desperation and anger helping make what she did succeed in was felt.

Her glowing wound healing casting them back into darkness save for the blood already spilt. Her skin even absorbing what had covered her. Whether she succeeded fully or had been dislodged at some point she would land roughly.

Ferelith drew her two 5 inch hunting knives. Dropping back into a ready position she calmed her breathing and she’s the rest of her armor that wasn’t already destroyed. Her nose seeking out the creatures scent. Her ears straining for the scraping of claw. The intake or exhale of breath. Things it couldn’t fake.

“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.” She said plainly. Her heart gripped with cautious fear, but her tone and gaze burned with unafraid rage.

“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.”

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

Alexi looked at the proceedings. Worry plain on her face as the bark from Ferelith sent her running back up the tunnel. They needed to see what this girl was and what it knew about all these things hunting her. “Bella!” She burst in as the elf was moving to plunge a blade into the girls chest. Her hand moved with out thinking.

Catching Bella’s downward moving hand by the wrist. “What are you doing!?” She asked incredulously. “You don’t know what she is do you?” Bella asked with a cocked eye brow. “A..a drow..or..” She glanced at the fur..

“I..I mean it doesn’t matter! She’s hurt.. and being hunted..Just like us..” She said her expression softening at the sight of the elf. Bella smirked knowingly as Alexi snapped from her trance. Her cold detached expression reentering her face. “Leave her be. We have to move.”
“Fine. But when it-“ “her.” Alexi interrupted with a warning growl.

“Ha..When IT wakes up I’d ask it for yourself.” Bella said unafraid of the drows intimidating tone. “Whatever.” The drow snapped back scooping the girl up in her arms gently.

Placing her hands next to each other as she seemed to want that..How had the elf known that.. her eyes turning slightly black for a moment before it receded. It was time to alert Kyla of what was going on. And get Ferelith some back up.

 

[Cauldwin Talson Valfnyr]

(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