Fate - First Reply No rest for the morally unconventional.

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Zathria shook her head as he offered her his sword. She had one of hers and she would have to find the other as a matter of pride and value.

I won't have my soldiers unarmed. Keep it, she signed back, giving a nod as her commander's instincts kicked back in. whatever else she may have been, she cared about those who fought under her and wouldn't leave them out to dry if she could help it.

We retreat and regroup. We come back when we have a plan, she signed, beginning to back away and making note of precisely where they were. She would find the other one of her sabers, unwilling to leave its twin alone.

He, however, wanted to push back in and she gave a hesitant nod.

Be careful, she motioned, starting to swing wide so that he could hit it with another of his magic arrows. It was a nice trick, she had to admit. A powerful one to conjure transcendent arrows from nothing.

She looked down at her empty left hand and decided that if she didn't have a saber, she would use her magic, flexing her fingers in preparation.

She waited. Waited for the sound of the arrow and the howl of pain. Then she would strike.

Sazalam
 
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Without a word the sword was retracted and in his palm again. Then Sazalam stood up tall again and strode towards the creature letting out a sharp whistle from between his teeth to get its attention and darting around to allow Zathria room to approach unseen.

The creature was already coming at him when he took his first step, haggard breathing and furious.
The dark arrow left his hand but it was gaining fast.
Sazalam held his ground despite not actually wanting to die horribly to this monster as his mind cleared with certainty he cursed himself for not casting Chains of Darkness instead to bind it.

"Bat droppings!"

He murmured holding up his sword as the monster reared up to crush him under its powerful body!

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria waited as the creature moved toward Sazalam, preparing to pounce and she let the power of the shadow flow into her hand, thrusting her arm forward in a burst of telekinetic energy that slammed into the creature just as it was beginning to pounce, off balance and knocked off of its feet.

It reeled to the side, flailing to try to scramble back up and whip on its attacker, but Zathria was already moving, her sword in two hands as she swung down with all her magic-enhanced strength, slamming onto the neck of the creature and cleaving halfway through its muscular neck, nearly knocking it over once again.

It roared and railed, flinging itself wildly around, its tail this time whipping around and slapping across Zathria's arm, knocking her from her feet as she felt a pop and cried out in pain.

It continued to fling itself around and Zathria tried to push herself away from its death flails as blood poured out onto the ground.

Sazalam
 
Sazalam let out a long deep breath he did not realise he was holding in.

The creature, at last ready to surrender to death, deflated as breath and blood finally left it for good and the sky above them threatened the sun with the first hints of violet blue on the horizon.

"My thanks... Mistress. You are as strong as you are skilled."

The surprise stayed on his face for a moment before he remembered himself and he returned his sword to its scabbard then the pain in his legs and arms came upon him anew as relief freed his mind to acknowledge the pain of his cuts and bruises. They hurt a bit more than he expected but he was certain it was nothing too serious.

"I felt my guts reach for my throat for a moment."

Bending over he rested his hands on his scuffed knees and examined Zathria, she did not seem particularly harmed.
"Did the beast cut you?"

The thought that if this was a chimera that whoever created it might have given its claws a venom of some kind hit him and he wished to be certain before they explore further into the cavern.

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria watched the creature flail and die, scooting back and favoring her left arm that was now cradled in her right. Pain was only growing with each moment, flaring to a peek that seemed to ache at the head of the bone and lance like fire through her torso, up into her neck, and down into a numbness in her hand.

She was taking sucking breaths in through her teeth, face scrunched up in pain.

I think it's dislocated, she said. I need you to pop it back in, she said.

Her face was twisted up in pain and she began giving him instructions.

Hold my elbow in close to my side like this, and rotate my hand out away from my body, press up into my armpit, she said, helping to hold her own arm close to her body as he only had two hands, wincing in pain and breathing heavily as began to twist her arm outward, waiting for the thunk as it slid back in and the - hopefully - wave of relief she would feel when it did.

Sazalam
 
"Very well."
With a huff Sazalam did as instructed. Though he had no formal medical training he was certain with his motions and firm of hand knowing that in this case, care or caution could make it worse.

He took her arm and wrist, held, twisted and at last pressed it up into her armpit.
The deep set sound of the bone reasserting itself into her shoulder was like a cracking whip in the night muffled only by the muscles of her arm.

It seemed he'd done it well enough.

"How is that?"

He asked, still holding on to Zathria's arm in case further adjustment was necessary.

It was unusual but he was getting used to her presence already, an odd feeling for a loner like him and it showed in the slight smile that tugged on his lips to know that this was the worst of it.

Zathria At'Arel
 
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Zathria started breathing rapid and deep as her arm twisted outward, face crunching up in pain as her arm twisted outward, grunting in pain before she felt the popand a wave of relief wash over her that made her head spin. She felt like she was going to pass out as her vagal reaction took over but fortunately she was already sitting, so there was no falling over or passing out as the fuzziness began to retreat from her vision.

Okay, ugh, alright, she muttered, holding her arm close to her belly now and cradling it there in hopes of not letting it slip out of socket again.

This is going to throw a kink in the recon work, she said with a frustrated sigh, annoyed with herself for getting injured because that was just the kind of thing that she did.

I need something that I can use as a sling. See if you can find something in the lair. A belt or strap or preferably some cloth, she said, jutting her chin out toward the entrance to the cavern.

And thanks, Salamander, she said with a smirk.

Sazalam
 
Sazalam wore a ponderous look at the mistake of his name.
Certainly he had heard it butchered by every tongue of the over world... at least Zathria had changed it into a recognisable word.

"Here..."
Unclipping his short cape he draped it over her recently popped shoulder and lifted her arm into it.
"Hold it close across your chest, elbow down, wrist over your heart."

Next he looped it under the arm and tight bound it over behind her neck to its other end.

It was not glamorous but it would hold her arm well enough for now.

"There, done and it's Sazalam, Mistress."
He knew she had gotten it wrong on purpose but he wasn't going to let her get away with it completely unchallenged.

Zathria At'Arel
 
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He pulled off a piece of his cape and wrapped it around her, tucking her arm in close to keep her arm secured. She found herself wanting to object to him using his cape but it was practical, and on top of that she wasn't supposed to care about his things, he was a maleling, right?

Done and probably better than some half-chewed leather strap that's covered in blood, she said, referring to what they might have found within the lair.

He mentioned his name was Sazalam and that smirk broadened, stifling a laugh as she slightly sucked on her lips to keep from breaking into a full grin.

I know, Salamander, she said, and when he looked at her... had she just winked at him or was that a trick of the moonlight?

And Zathria is fine. Or if you are feeling particularly on ceremony, commander, she said as she got back to her feet, now picking up her swords and sheathing them without the tensions of combat anymore.

You know most males up on the surface wouldn't want anything to do with helping me. Why the decision to be so helpful? she asked, curiously, her tone a bit softer and less guarded than it had been before they nearly died side by side. It had a way of bringing people together.

Sazalam
 
Considering this, Sazalam replied as honestly as he could. Even as he quietly accepted the nickname but promised to himself to kill anyone else who used it. A manling he remained but even he had limits.

"I've met such men, they get a sniff of surface custom and forget the Dark Mother completely. Taken in by the notion that men can be their own masters."

The idea was ludicrous. One may as well as rocks to swim.

"And my travels have proven such. Wherever I go up here I see men in positions high above their right and ability like the human Anirians do and the Cortosi are no better, worshipping a sun father of all things. As if the night did not exist at all. I ask you what good is a god who is only around half the time?"

He honestly did not understand the theology behind such a deity. The sun was fleeting and fickle, the dark was constant and patient, waiting only for its time to embrace all.

Satisfied that Zathria was well enough Sazalam stood and offered his unworthy hand.
"You are a piece of home Mis... Zathria. I'd be a fool to hurry our parting. But for now the spoils of victory await. Let us hope it was worth the trouble."

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria allowed herself a smile as she decided that he was quite growing on her. She took his offered hand and stood to her feet.

Well, I am glad to have met you. And perhaps we may still travel together if our purposes align, she said as she headed toward the cave. She didn't know where his path would take him, but the retaking of Zar'ahal meant that she would soon wield enough power and influence that even his masters wouldn't be able to ignore.

The place smelled of rotting meat and filth, but she pressed on, covering her mouth and nose with the crook of her elbow.

Wow, it reeks in here, she muttered. Body parts and rotting carcasses filled the place, but each one seemed to have with it some faint bits of value. A jewel here, a bauble there, fine clothes that had once been lovely now chewed to pieces.

Do you like working for the mages and scholars? she probed curiously with absolutely no ulterior motives at all.

Sazalam
 
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"I think I'd like that, Dark Mother willing."

Zathria was right as he followed her into the cave the smell struck him so hard it provoked his hand to his nose in a basic attempt to filter it but it did almost no good. The sickly sweet funk of rot and decay seemed to penetrate into the back of his brain regardless.

Their eyes saw well in the gloom and rightly much of the finer cloths and clothes were ruined, torn and chewed to almost nothing but the gleam of gemstones and precious metals

Hunkering down Sazalam began to clear the way to what he hoped was something worthwhile.

"It has its perks. I have learned magic under their watch, some modest healing recipes and potent poisons. For a mind willing to learn even a manling can hope to improve his lot with patience and diligence."

His hand took upon a circlet, silver and sapphire woven with what he had to admit was some skill, for surface dwellers anyway. No doubt belonging to a noble who fell afoul of the monster.

"This looks worth something, though I cannot speak to if it is magical."

He held it up and offered it to Zathria a tone of excitement in his voice.

"There's plenty here if we set ourselves to the dirty task if digging it up. A small fortune. Perhaps enough to secure an estate when..."

He was getting ahead of himself and lowered his gaze in contrition. This was not his and his designs on it mattered little more than the stench itself.

"...when you return home that is."

His work was not yet done.

Zathria At'Arel
 
She listened as he spoke about his life with the scholars, and she could tell he was smart enough to pick up whatever he could. It was the kind of wits that would keep him alive and put him in a favored position if it was mixed with just a little bit of lucky.

Zathria watched as he started looking through the remains of one of the bodies and she looked to one of the others, bending down to find several weapons that looked to be inlayed with magical metals. Although the weapons themselves were not the type she favored, the materials themselves would prove valuable in forging or reforging weapons to her specifications, and she bent down to pick them up and liberating some less damaged cloth to wrap them in.

She looked to what he had found and though she was no expert on magical items, she guessed that what he held had some sort of magical properties as well as she looked at it. She could almost sense the sadness in him as he spoke and she was surprised to see him offering it up to her. Not because she couldn't lay claim to it, but because he hadn't tried to pocket it when she wasn't looking. It was loyalty, and loyalty was a hard thing to come by.

You found it, you keep it, she said. We can dig out the rest along with my scouting team when they return, she said, her mind now drifting to her home and the aforementioned estate.

When I return home, I will have to retake my family's estate, she said, her voice sounding far off as she said it. Pain, hurt, anger washed over her mind in a mixture of emotions. The betrayal of her sister still cut her deep all these years later and Zathria wanted to unleash revenge on those who had driven her and the Queen from their homes.

But I wager your portion of this could buy you a more comfortable life, she said.

Take a few pieces you want to keep. Most of it I will return to the Queen to invest into our future, she said. Even Zathria would likely only claim the weapons she had found as a prize, but that was of no bother to her. The truth was that it hadn't been about comfort and luxury on the surface.

Sazalam
 
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So, Zathria was kind.
Kind enough at least to offer him something from the treasures.

It got an ear wiggle out of him that he hid by tucking his hair behind it but then she spoke of herself of loss and implied betrayal and the queen or at least A queen.

Sazalam's face hardened as he contemplated his next action. Without knowing Zathria's personal stakes he did not know whether she followed the Usurper or the Banished queen and such a divide had killed many, turned sister on sister and mother against daughter.

Without knowing who he was in the presence of a loyalist or not Sazalam felt his chest close in tight about his heart which a moment ago felt light as air itself and now as if it was made of lead.

"You speak of the Queen."
The circlet he now claimed gratefully he tucked away as he stood looking anywhere but at her. Tired and wounded as she was she was still bigger than him and he knew better than to think she could not rip his body to bits if she decided to and yet he refused to reach for his sword as his face went grave and he stared at the space between her and the wall, his head cocked at an angle.

"Do you mean the Usurper..."
His hand shook trying to keep himself still.
"... or Vyx'aria Tor'Rahel, the rightful Queen?"

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria watched the way he stiffened as he spoke of the Queen. She could tell he was tense and it only mad her more tense. She started to reason whether she could kill him with a single arm and she didn't love her odds. She was good, but she wasn't perfect, and being that much slower or being an arm down after such an injury. She wasn't sure she'd make it out of that fight alive.

Her eyes flashed toward him and for a moment they took on that hard gaze again, the one that had slowly softened as they had spoke, but this was back to a life-and-death potential moment.

But then he named the Queen he followed and her muscles relaxed if only a little.

Of course, there was always the chance it was a lie. It wasn't a leap in logic to figure out that the exiled Drow Commander wasn't up here because she followed the Usurper.

Yes, I followed the true Queen up to the surface, she confirmed.

I'm glad to hear there are those below who still hold proper loyalty, she said, watching him in an attempt to gauge his reaction and whether she thought he was just feeding her a line, but she didn't think so.

Sazalam
 
Sazalam almost felt faint with relief.

"We exist but we are quiet. The risk is great to say even that much."

Taking a breath he looked at Zathria at last, dared to meet her eyes.
"I am glad to not find us on opposite sides. Even with one arm I don't think I would have taken you if it came to it."

Then his mind caught up to her words.
"The Queen is on the surface? Many wondered but I dared not hope she make it so far. Please tell me she is far from us and the Anirians."

He was surprised by the notion and as he put the pieces together his mind raced with a growing sense of dread.
If the Anirians found the Queen they would likely kill her on sight and nevermind who she really is.

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria nodded along several times as he spoke, thinking about the people in the Underrealm. She thought of her sister and the rest of her House. Her sister had taken their otherwise loyal family away from the true Queen. She hoped that the people in her family would remain loyal when she came back to bring her sister to justice.

She's not near here right now, but everything we do up here is dangerous and difficult, she said. She chewed lightly on her lower lip for a moment in thought before speaking again.

You could join us. We are in need of more people for our cause, she said. Why did she feel so nervous about his answer? It was stupid. Girlish and not fitting of her position.

And yet.

Sazalam
 
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The fall and rise of Sazalam's heart happened again but for very different reasons and Zathria seemed, nervous to even ask.
She could command it, command him to join and he'd do it, he'd have to and in fact Sazalam found that he'd be glad to.

Surprise turned into gentle acceptance on his face and he dared a small but meaningful step towards her while trying to hold her eye on his own and reason out her thoughts but they eluded him.

"Is it Zathria who asks this or the Commander?"
For a reason he had not yet parsed this distinction mattered to him.

Zathria At'Arel
 
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She hadn't been expecting that question from him and it was a little too poignant. She was taken aback, her cheeks taking on a deeper shade of purple as he asked it.

I don't know what you mean, she said, clearing her throat and shrugging her shoulders a little bit in discomfort which shot a lance of pain through her shoulder that she forgot was still bothering her.

They are one and the same, she said, fairly sure she knew what he was implying, but she obviously couldn't just... well this was absolutely... it was... gaaagh!

I... we need to get back to me team, she said, trying to break off the discomfort she now felt. Why was her heart beating faster? Why was she having so much trouble and indecision!

We can show them back here and that will give you time to think about what I said, she said. Yes, nailed it. She was so smooth. Buttery smooth.

Sazalam
 
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As she passed him on her way out he let his eyes fall a bit but his lips turned up at the corner to himself, pretty certain that Zathria had just told him the answer he sought in that way that often women did when they came dangerously close to the truth if their hearts and he found that charming in its own way if a little frustrating.

Again his ears wiggled for just a moment and he found himself both glad and fortunate that he found himself in her presence.

"We should hurry then before the sun gets too high. By then the surfacers will be back to claim their dead and if they find this cave we'll have lost everything."

Though Sazalam did not truly believe he'd lose everything in that case. A point he attempted make by following Zathria out of the cave and into the dim mists of early morning, stopping only a half step behind her to ask.

"Which way Commander Zathria?"

Zathria At'Arel
 
Zathria gave a nod of agreement that they needed to move. They still had a great deal to do and they were losing nighttime quickly.

They should meet us back near where we began, she said, heading back toward the battlefield. As it turned out, this operation had proven successful for raising funds for the movements, and definitely not for any other reason.

One could say that it all came full circle, but such a statement didn't highlight what else had been gained along the way.

Sazalam
 
"I shall take point then, with your permission."

Stepping ahead he gave a motion, the gentlest touch of the hand on the arm (the good one) to Zathria. A tell of understanding and what he hoped would be the knowing if the unsaid and the needlessness to dwell on the question any longer.

Within minutes they were back at the battlefield under an ever lighting blue sky above and the mist that had settled covered most of the bodies of the slain which crows had begun to pick at.

"What a night."
Sazalam exclaimed spinning to look back at Zathria with a grin. She looked a bit rough given the evening.

"Oh."
Without thinking he stepped up to her and took out his kerchief and began almost began rubbing down her face, it was filthy and he did not imagine his looked much better but he did not have to command respect.

"Here, best meet them with a clear face."
The motion turned into an offer that Zathria might take it and clean her own face while his own looked slightly diownward at the misting earth in accordance with his station.

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