Completed Human Cargo

There he was. The presence by the camp outskirt seemed more than a little suspicious to the pharaoh's handmaiden. Holding up the rim of her dress, she strode across the ground in a hurried pace.
»Well I am, Cassidy, but tell me not. Are you already leaving so soon? «
Cassidy Ackerson
 
Certainly, Cassidy didn't have any unseemly motives. This was a camp of creatures unlike himself, and despite Gahesznem's hospitality, there was a limit to every welcome. He was craving a cold drink and the company of a woman, neither of which he'd had in years, and neither of which he was going to find here. Still, he was glad she'd arrived. He'd been hoping to bid her farewell, and to thank her for her hospitality.

"I've been in your fur too long, Gaz. This ain't a place for me, and I daresay it's increasing some feelings that already needed dealt with. It's in my best interest to hit the road." Gaz nonetheless seemed unhappy with his words. The smile on his face faltered a bit, his head tilting to the side as he eyed her up. "Or is there something I'm forgetting?"

Gahesznem
 
Cassidy Ackerson

»Have you no desire to see the land within our hold? Of the humans who live here.« Gahesznem questioned before reminding him of yesterday. She was indeed a bit surprised as to why he'd leave so soon.
Or perhaps he was more so of the type to quickly go.
 
Cassidy remembered yesterday's discussion, but he honestly didn't think it wise. Humans living here... based on what he remembered of last night, there were some inconsistencies with that idea. He doubted they could be living here, so close to the heart of the camp. Perhaps though, he was being a bit too judgmental. These gnolls had been able to surprise him so far, hadn't they?

He stops packing his bag, letting it slide back down his arm to the ground as she implores him to listen. "Alright." He finally relents. "I suppose the least I can do is do what I said I would. I certainly didn't want to impose on you, but if you insist, lead the way."

Gahesznem
 
Cassidy Ackerson
»Ah! splendid is your heart. Then come with me, for this hike that goes further into the depths of the lowlands of this valley.«
Gaheznem seemed jovial once more as she began to lead Cassidy down the riverside that grew ever larger from further joint streams.
With them also came four gnoll guards, two greater spotted and two lesser striped ones.

While the wild reeds that grew on each side of the river were slowly replaced by crops of various kinds, any presence of field workers was oddly absent.

One village composed of hovels made out of mud and reeds up above did not seem to display signs of life either. Or at least at first sight, so Gahesznem had hoped.
 
Cassidy fancied himself a preceptive man if nothing else. Gahesznem's almost desperate insistence, and the rapid shift to exuberance once he accepted her initiation? It smelled off to him. He had been willing to write off her quirks so far as her being a gnoll; they were different species entirely. Even with the guards escorting the both of them however, he felt his nerves at a fever pitch.

It didn't help that when they did cross further into the valley, they were greeted with an ominous absence of life. Nobody working the fields, and the small mound homes didn't seem to be sporting any movement either. Quietly and subtly, Cassidy rested a hand on the hilt of Damascus hanging at his side. He hoped that the building sense of dread in his gut was merely his imagination...

Gahesznem
 
Cassidy Ackerson
Nearing the village, it was as empty on first thought.
Gaheznem dared not to step within the perimeters of the inner court when she spotted the debree on the floor.
Aside from an assortment of broken pottery and spilled grains, the soft dust was anything but marred by orderly footprints of people walking around.
There were deep grooves from struggle and prints from bodies collapsed and dragged.
The handmaiden bore her teeth, »locusts of the highest order, have we not era- «
T-whwang.
Before she could finish her sentence, she gasped loudly, grabbing at the feathered bolt that lodged itself in her torso.

»You call us locust?« chuckled a man as he exited one of the huts, crossbow in hand. He didn't look like from here.
Neither was he alone.
 
The fear that he'd had brewing in the back of his mind over the state of this little village hadn't been unwarranted, it seemed. Being met with an empty village was bad enough, but the debris that littered the ground and the evidence of a violent struggle were an even worse indicator of what was possibly to come. As they neared closer, he took it upon himself to take lead. His grip on the hilt of his blade, still sheathed at his side tightened.

He heard noises, small and difficult to discern from the natural sounds of the environment they were in. He was about to turn and suggest they pull back when the loud zipping of a bolt passed him on his right side, sinking into Gaz's chest and sending her down in a head. Immediately the guards they'd brought would at his side, but Cassidy didn't even wait for them; He had to have faith that Gaz would be okay, because the men who now emerged certainly weren't going to wait for him to check on her.

"A cowardly strike like that? Yeah, I'd say locusts is more fitting than any other name." His demeanor had changed, the carefree air about him had charged with something different, something serious and intense. In one swift movement, he draws Damascus from it's sheath, the sky-blue blade that would have looked at home in the hands of the most powerful of knights and kings looked quite out of place in Cassidy's grip.
With a sharp mewl, the cat that had been in Cassidy's coat bounds out and to his side, pressing herself to his legs affectionately as it slowly faded from view, disappearing into thin air with nothing but a faint glow left in her wake.

When the cat vanishes, the blue color of Damascus begins to shift rapidly, The golden designs on it's side shift to a deep silver, and it's blue blade quickly reddens to a burning scarlet. Ackerson grits his teeth, pointing the fiery-red blade at the man. "Why don't you try that again, you little shit? Hit me this time." He snarled. Another group of people who fancied themselves wolves and predators...

They weren't about to prey on Cassidy Ackerson.

Gahesznem
 
»A collaborator, how splendid! Since when do you mongrels side with beasts.«
The bandit leader nocked a new bolt before shooting at Cassid. Such a process took good time, within which the four gnoll guards already went into battle with bandits which swarmed out of the buildings.
It wasn't a large troop, some eight men, likely only a sizeable chunk of a much larger force which lay elsewhere.
Cassidy Ackerson
 
Despite his confidence in his own strength, Cassidy wasn't so overconfident to think he could take on however many of these men were hiding in the weeds here on his own. He was thankful for the guards they'd brought with them, even if he was rather disappointed that he'd ended up needed them.

His thoughts turned to Gaz for a moment; She'd shown him nothing but kindness and hospitality, and his presence had led to her getting a bolt buried in her chest. He owed her a debt now without a doubt. If clearing these vermin out of their land was his way of repaying her, he'd have to make sure he was thorough.

He approached the man aiming his way as he readied another bolt, a fire in his eyes at the thoughts swirling about in his head. His anger seemed to reflect off of the shimmering crimson hue of his blade, and as the bolt was loosed from the weapon aimed at Ackerson he would raise the blade. The bolt would stop in front of the area in front of Damascus for a split second before flying off uselessly to the side.

His blade was surrounded by an odd reflective field of magical energy, enchanted in some way relating to the cat, which was in truth Cassidy's familiar. Knowing the man had no time to load another shot, he lunged forward and lunged Damascus at his foe.

Gahesznem
 
The bandit leader began to prep his bow, yet so vulnerable he was not.
As Cassidy made his draw across with his streaked blade, an axe wielder brushed himself through and past him, hacking the blade aside. The burly axe wielder only made a gruff snort before thrashing at Cassidy with another swing.

With a jolt of force, the four gnoll guards shrieked in heinous laughter, jumping over fences and through windows to cull their adversaries hiding from them.
 
Cassidy had no idea where the brute had come from; he had barely realized the man was there until he felt the heavy weight of another weapon shoving his attack aside, sending him stumbling off to the side in attempt to catch his footing. He shouldn't have expected these people to play fair, and he grit his teeth in frustration, turning back to face his now two opponents.

"Awfully lucky you had daddy to save you there." He sneered at them. "That one was going through your heart." It wasn't a second before the taunt had left his lips that the brutish axe man charged him again. Ackerson quickly tucked himself into a roll at the last moment, outstretching his sword before swinging it back at the man's calf muscles as he comes out of his roll, standing up and bringing Damascus back in front of him to block a bolt he anticipated was coming from his other foe.

Damascus was a magical sword to be sure, but it had limits. It's angry red glow, and the mystical barrier that surrounded it wouldn't last forever. He had to act fast, and prey the other gnolls had time to thin the ranks around him.

Gahesznem
 
One of the greater spotted brutes launched himself at the axeman brute who stumbled after Cassidy's evasion, wrestling him to the ground and clamping down at his neck with teeth bared wide.
Not even a moment passed when his throat was torn out with the force of an angered gnoll brute!

The leader of the bandits gritted his teeth as he shot his only useable bolt at Cassity.
The thing splintered, its shaft breaking in half at the impact with the parrying blade.

»Curses, you conspirator, « he waved his hand to summon more men who were otherwise unoccupied by the three other gnoll guardsmen. But luck would not give him his desire, the captain the crossbow took out his own sword.
Cassidy Ackerson
 
Cassidy didn't care who these people were, or what nonsense he was babbling about. Conspirator? He'd done nothing but accept the hospitality of those who'd saved him from a much worse fate. No, he seethed with rage as the energies that enchanted his sword bathed him, the red of his blade as scarlet as his anger as he stepped forward to meet the man who now dared hold a blade before him. He would let the gnolls do as they pleased with any other, but this one. This one who dared speak to him as if he were some traitor, who'd injured a friend.

He was Cassidy's. "You'll choke on those words."

His teeth clenched tightly, stepping forward and bringing Damascus furiously forward, swinging at the man with calculated fury, Damascus glowing brightly as it sliced through the air with a piercing whistle. The last time he'd been attacked, been called a traitor... he'd let somebody important to him down. Not this time.

Gahesznem
 
The capatain met his blade with Cassidy Ackerson , he was no exceptional swordsman, but if his brigand were to advance, the situation might be lost.

Past the pair ran one of the gnoll guards, launching himself into the fray of battle. Man often misunderstood with what kind of ferocity gnolls could fight when their weapons could count more than the sticks in their fist..
 
Cassidy had little intention of allowing the man to have any chance at getting out of this fight, and certainly wasn't going to give him time to receive help. In his own mind, he was back at his family's estate in Oban, dressed in the finest of battle-wear and swiping his sword at one of the many trainers who'd taught him as though he would be slain upon failure.

It was true that now he was nothing but a vagabond, but he was a vagabond who knew how to handle a blade with the best of them. Sparks seemed to fly from his scarlet blade as it collides with the one opposing it, a snarling whistle of metal almost as though his rage were channeled through his weapon. These excuses for men thought themselves hunters, just as those who'd taken his life away had.

But Cassidy was the hunter now.

Sliding his blade to the side, he shifts and shoves both of their blades aside before stepping forward with a powerful kick aimed at the Captain's shins. Should that miss he would follow up by breaking away from him and swinging down again.

Gahesznem
 
Cassidy Ackerson
The captain did not dodge in time, and just then at that time, he lost balance which may have been to hard to regain. What a stutter in poise, the light in his eyes waned as bravery diminished into something else. The world around him blurred down, with only Cassidy and his red hair glowing shining at the end of the tunnel.
He rose his blade to parry any incoming blow, but nothing was certain anymore, he was at disadvantage.

Even so, losing a leader might be a sure way to win this fight with the least bloodshed, but would the gnolls care?
They only had blood in their eyes as they tore through flesh and skin.
 
Cassidy may have thought to spare the captain, to restrain and force a surrender in attempt to stem the death toll that was building from this battle. Any such thoughts toward mercy were made impossible when he'd harmed Gahesznem. The two of them were little more than acquaintances, but she'd saved him from a rotten fate, and she'd only wished to show him the good that her people were capable of.

There'd been no reason to shoot her. She wasn't even a fighter.

No, the Cassidy that looked down at the dizzied and disoriented Captain had no mercy. He was a hunter, and the sod at his feet was his prey. Delivering a swift kick to his enemy's hand, he knocked the weapon loose and away, raised his sword, and swung to end him.

Gahesznem
 
There wasn't much life left in the captain and his fall has not gone unnoticed. Whatever was left of the brigand band began to scatter, clearly a situation too tough to deal and the loss may have been just too much for them.
It was not worth it even if they won.

IF they won.

A greater spotted gnoll sniffed the air for their tracks, while as much as they wanted to follow them back, some matters were more immediate.
He walked back to the rest of the group, walking past Cassidy Ackerson and giving him an approving look and a pat on the shoulder before stepping beside Gaheznem.
The gnoll handmaiden was at least sitting upright, either helped up by another of the guards or by herself.
The injury was an arrow lodged into the side of her shoulder girdle. Gnolls tend to survive worse with little medical attention at all. And as so, she was not as worried by that as some other things, namely the missing villagers.
»Oh Cassidy, do you see what we have to deal with, these brigands are neverending and only spread more misery. This whole village of quiet and hardworking nature is gone! «
One of the gnolls grunted at her, probably thinking she should be worrying about herself first.
 
Cassidy watched what remained of the brigands flee from battle, holding Damascus at his side as his anger went from a boil to a mere simmer. It hadn't needed to get this bad; Cassidy didn't like taking lives, and he sure as hell didn't like being stuck in the middle of a battle between dozens. This entire trip had only served to remind him of the divide between the different races of Arethil, and how little they understood one another.

It wasn't worth it.

He shouldn't have killed the man. Now the rest of them had a martyr, and they wouldn't blame Cassidy. They would blame the gnolls. A soft swear left Cassidy's lips as he slides his blade onto his back. He'd gotten too angry, he'd spread hate where he should have showed mercy. Now, this town was a battlefield.

Turning on his heel, he's at least happy to see Gaz up and about, he certainly doesn't look thrilled though. "This didn't need to happen. This was absolutely senseless, and it's only going to keep happening." He lets out a sigh, nodding to the other gnolls as they try to get Gaz to worry about herself for a moment. "They're right. You're wounded. We should get you back to your camp and get that arrow out of you."

Gahesznem
 
»But, our humble subjects need us! Basaph cries for them!« Gahesznem uttered in frustration. »These brigands are kidnappers, slavers, traffickers!«

It was usually not apt for a male gnoll to disrupt one of a higher station, even less so a female. But this moment felt right to bend rules here and there.
»Shh,« grunted one of the bigger warriors, muttering something in gnollish snickers and cries to the rest of his crew. His eyes lastly returned to Cassidy, the guy knew what's up.

One of the lesser striped gnolls seemingly disappeared from the group, taking a stick and tracking behind the dispersed brigands.

The larger spotted gnoll finally muttered something out in a tongue more familiar. »Kasidi go Gahesznem? Kasidi go me, « he tapped his chest, looking him straight in the eyes with a narrowing gaze.

Cassidy Ackerson
 
He understood Gahesznem's frustrations. She was devout, almost fanatical in her beliefs and ideals at times. Cassidy shared in many of her opinions, but he also knew that sometimes you needed to step back before you moved forward. Right now she had an arrow in her arm, and while Cassidy didn't show it, he was utterly exhausted from using Damascus' magic. If killing that Captain hadn't caused the rest of the brigands to retreat, he would have been in some real trouble.

Still, it was surprising to see the male gnolls step in and hush her. He was under the impression Gaz was of high standing, so to see her so desperate that she needed to be chastised by her own men was rather... well, it was a shock.

The group appeared to send a scout out to tail the fleeing humans, while the largest of the Gnolls turned to address Cassidy himself. He felt the point of the beast's claw through his shirt, and did his best not to twist his face at the breath that came his way. The last thing he needed to do was piss off this guy. He'd made his point clear.

"Yeah..." He nodded slowly, sheathing his blade and moving in to follow him. "You'll hear no arguments from me."

Gahesznem
 
The large gnoll scratched his chin and averted his gaze, and just for a moment, he looked like a worried gorilla.
His strong, bone-crushing teeth briefly flashed before he finally recollected himself.

By this time, one of the lesser gnolls helped Gahesznem up and helped her return to the village where her injury could be taken care of.


The larger gnoll, however, finally stirred, looking over at Cassidy Ackerson once and took off towards the direction where the tracker went with his buddy.
 
There was some small part of Cassidy that relished the chance to track down the rotten souls who'd caused so much bedlam in such a peaceful place. They deserved far worse than they'd gotten, and Cassidy was a prime candidate to deliver it to them. Why should they be given the mercy they'd shown these people none of? They deserved pain.

But Cassidy also knew that the Gnolls were well equipped to handle it, and in the end, Cassidy didn't wish for any more blood to be spilled this night. At least, not by his hand. He'd already lost his composure once, and he'd ended lives. That much was enough to deter him from following the large gnoll, instead turning to accompany Gaz. The time was nearing for him to depart, having given far too much trouble to these creatures. He didn't belong here, and that much was increasingly apparent.

"Gaz." He called to her as he ran to catch up. "Gaz, you've got to calm down. Keep panicking and you'll send yourself into shock. We really don't need that right now." The trip back to camp was short, and Cassidy knew that he'd be sleeping in a rather uncomfortable environment again. He only hoped to be here for Gaz as she recovered.

Gahesznem
 
Gaheznem eyed Cassidy. Where the remaining three had left was clear as day. »I have now faith in my soldiers that they know what they are doing out there,« occasionally she winced in pain.
But gnolls could survive worse, like getting half their face town off with little to no medical attention.
» that they will do as Husit demands to bring those cursed souls to the sea of beneath where the monsters of old will chew on them.«.

The Hesheb delta would branch out again, which signified them nearing the gnoll encamplment.

Cassidy Ackerson
 
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