Riding The End (L3 | Archived | Fantasy/Sci-Fi)

[Venom3001]

"We'll keep watch from th'upper branches; we can open fire from a longer distance with the extra height if we're seen," Phallo stated bluntly. He ascended Ashling, and Theridan made the jump into her upper branches in a single leap, landing without even using his hands.  

[SiberDrac]

Nine was quick to stick his tongue out petulantly at Morea. "Don't admonish me - I could kill you and your family by pretending to think about it." He crossed his arms and harrumphed while she tended to his leg, grudgingly letting go of most of the water magic that was keeping him from bleeding out to give her access.

Once she was done, he pushed himself to his feet, wobbled a little, and called up a stone seat to ponder on - and pretend he had a reason other than residual pain to take the weight off his leg. He looked up at Ashling when she spoke and pressed his palms together meditatively. "I will make my own path," he said, his voice grave. With the same gravity, he continued, as though with a mantra, "I am a strong, independent woman." The stone pedestal shuddered and groaned, then began moving him forward at a snail's pace. "A strong, indepe- what?" He smacked the side of the structure, and it crumbled to dust under him. "Dammit!"

With a grunt of irritation, he called over water from the lakeside to cushion his foot, and began walking with little more than a limp, keeping the water there by replacing it from water underneath the earth. "There," he grinned up at Ashling, his face still somewhat formidably covered in blood, "my own path."  

[Isa-sama]

Ashling's legs trembled under the additional weight of the Trow. She gently pulled Phallo off and set him down.

She paid attention to Nine's antics and raised a brow at his words.

The group didn't get into anymore trouble as they neared the capital. Once they reached the city, Ashling pounded on the gate. "Who are you?" The Trent replied,

The gate opened, and the group entered the large stone city. It'd been built into the side of the wall and was bustling with many Fae. The group immediately went to the hospital to rest. A nurse came to their room and said, "I hope the accommodations are fine. Is there anything you will need?"

"Yes, I see. We'll notify him of your arrival. Is there a mess-"

"It's alright. No need to call for me." A man with bright orange hair and blue eyes entered the room. He gave a small nod towards the group. "I am Archmage Azrial. I'm glad to have you here, but I didn't expect for anyone else to accompany the Tenderer..." He sighed. "It's not a problem. I bet you have an interesting story explaining what happened." He seemed to be an easy going man (though he did slightly glare at the Trow in suspicion). "Mind telling me what happened?"  

[Jokerman-EXE]

"Archmage, sir," Osiris said, forcing himself to sit up enough in the bed to bow. "It's an honor. Commander Osiris Darke, of the Druids. I'm a fan, sir."

He collapsed back on the bed, unable to hold himself up any longer. "We were attacked by humans on the way here. Very powerful humans with incredible training. They ambushed us, but we...uh. Well, I guess you could say we chased them off. More like they just left."  

[Venom3001]

"They gave some sort of challenge to us - in our languages, but not. It was... you could hear the words they spoke, but in your mind you understood them as ours," Theridan elaborated. "They assaulted us, and an alien with a plasma sword and shield challenged us to draw blood from him; I managed a cut barely the length of a fingernail and they withdrew. They weren't like other offworlders, I suspect. They were better trained than the ones I met, yet didn't rely on each other, and I believe that if they were within normal offworlder chain-of-command structure they would not have simply left.  

[SirBayer]

"Ah," Trajan replied over the radio. "No assassination, then." It wasn't disappointment; it was confirmation. "We'll approach them as best as we are able." Away from the radio, Trajan called again to DuPont. "No need to approach as quietly anymore; we just need to avoid cataclysmic confrontation. Either we approach them or we trail them. Either way we need to catch them, let's keep moving."  

[SiberDrac]

When Azrial walked into the room, it seemed as though a wave of very tiny insects had crawled up Nine's front, danced on his head, and crawled down his back. Hair that color would look so good sewn into his cloak... especially with the implications of how it had gotten there to bolster the effect.

"Hey. So... these are the Trow you sent me after. Two of them, anyway. Other one's inaccessible until your government starts up the necromantic studies again." Here, he sent the Archmage a very brief glare. "And... hmm... yeah, ambush, creepy Dryad kid, I almost started a wa- well, that's a story for another time." He grinned nostalgically, caught in a short reverie. "Anyway, we should keep chasing Aeon. That is my professional opinion."  

[Venom3001]

Theridan, in "shorthand" (one-handed) Trowsign, informed Phallo:

I'm going to shove a pitchfork up his a** the next time I catch him sleeping.  

[Mr. Blackbird Lore]

Admittedly, Donnie was a little disappointed that they were no longer going to be executing the Fae. He'd been looking forward to getting a little vengeance for the fallen, but orders were orders, and so he sighed. "So it seems. Doesn't sound like a terribly safe plan now, though. I doubt they're going to just let us traipse about the woods with them like ******** Dorothy & friends on the yellow brick road. Maybe they keep flying monkeys on this rock..." He grinned to himself at the ancient muse.

Other than this quip, the Dane was dead silent, quieter than that mouse from the Christmas Eve story- and that was saying something: all that mouse did was sleep on its fat a**. DuPont was moving through knee- to waist-high underbrush in woods that were not entirely familiar to him. Donnie was a survivor, though, and survivors knew when to keep it clamped and when it was a good time to yell bloody murder. Now was time for the quiet game, at least until they found that loony of a Fae and interrogated him.
 

[Isa-sama]

((OH MY LORD I AM SO SORRY EVERYONE! Last week has been really stressing with midterms...I am so so sorry! I'll find a way to make it up to you all!))

Azrial's eyes slightly narrowed. With a flick of his wrists, the ground moved and trapped the Trows' legs in the floor. "So YOU'RE the ones we've been looking for." Two Fae soldiers came in immediately after feeling the ground tremble. "Take these two away - persuade them in any way you can to retrieve info of Aeon's whereabouts."

As the ground dissolved to free the Trows' legs, Phallo spoke up. "Don't take him. He wasn't a part of the group. He joined up afterwards, so he knows nothing." Azrial would have argued the point, but a pair of huge hands got between the Trow and Fae leader. Ashling was not going to let this go easily. Okay, only Phallo is, but that's not the point. Azrial glared at Ashling. "I understand your promise binds them to you, but I cannot let them free. I NEED that information."

There was a stalemate. Silence passed for a few moments before Azrial said in a curt tone, "Fine. This one," he pointed at Theridan, "stays by your side. This other one will reveal what he knows, and then you can continue with your promise." Ashling looked ready to rage, but it wouldn't do any good. Besides, she had to stay there - for her mission. She could at least hold that over his head. He can't get any Druids; I'm his only chance. This way, we both get what we want. Not to mention, it gave her more time to make up some bullshit story about being a Tenderer.

Theridan was released, but Phallo was pushed out of the room. He wore a sad smirk as he left in the custody of the Fae. Azrial cleared his voice. "I'm sorry for this. But this is for my people. I want my people safe, and if it means sacrifices need to be made, I will do them." He wasn't making excuses - he was merely stating his reasons.

"Humans don't come around here. But I think I know who you might be talking about." He sighed. "Rest here for a while. Once you've rested, we'll be able to begin our journey...speaking of which, why are you all so injured? With a Tenderer with you, you shouldn't be so badly injured."

Ashling glared.

Azrial nodded. "Rest then. By the time you're healed, your friend will be returned and we can all be on our way. If you like, you may walk freely through the city. Please don't make a fuss; I would hate to put any of you in jail for causing trouble. That includes you, Nine." With that, he left.

-----------------

Donnie and Trajan finally made it to the outside of the city. They could see it, and saw the wall surrounding the great Fae city. They noticed the patrolling Fae and wondered what would be the best course of action. Fortunately for them, they were in a strategic hiding place that allowed them to see the city and soldiers without making it obvious that the pair was out there.  

[Venom3001]

"It's a good thing the sacrifice you're making for your people is one of my people, not one of yours, eh? You're crazy. So is Phalanx. Heavens help us, every person we put in a position of power is crazy. ******** this," Theridan snapped at Azrial's back. Without another word, and without waiting for a reply, he turned and left as well, climbing out through a window and ascending towards the roof, presumably with the intent to avoid contact with other sentients for the forseeable future. To say he was bitter was an understatement; he understood all too well the subconscious mechanisms behind how Azrial had said his people.  

[SiberDrac]

Nine was offended. "I have yet to do anything that would land me in jail! You're suggesting I'm stupid enough to be see-!" But the Archmage was gone.

Screw that dryad woman. I want your head as a goblet instead.

"Well, I'm off then, folks. Gonna go scare little kiddies. Enjoy yourselves! Toodle-oo!" With a coquettish wave, Nine abandoned the rest of them and made his way down to the streets of the city. First things first: find a suitable disposal site for the Zippo lighter. It wasn't as if he really needed it anymore, anyway. Therefore: outhouse.

Half an hour later, Nine had regained his hearing and managed to overcome his fit of giggling. Stupid kid had had the choice between running toward a Fae with blood caked all over him and an exploding cesspit. Finally, the blood started to itch, so Nine dunked himself in a river, scrubbed clean, and dried off. While there, he used his newfound talent to stun a fish or two for a meal, not to mention practicing lighting underwater fires. He couldn't drag enough air underneath the surface as of yet to keep it going for long, but a Fae could dream.

Done playing, he decided to go tree-hunting. Ashling shouldn't be hard to find, he figured - there were very few walking trees in the area. He needed to ask her a few questions.  

[QuietBlue]

((Sorry for the delay - I was awaiting some info ^_^))

I should not have followed them, I should not have followed them, Morea thought to herself, over & over. It had become a mantra in her head, as she tried to find some way out of the Fae stronghold. But I just could not help it! She had been too curious & concerned over the child (What had they called him? Zubari?) that she had felt compelled to follow. By the time she realized where they were heading, it had been too late. I should not have followed them! I should have gone back to my Queen, back to my home, but noooo, I had to let my curiosity get the better of me... again... & now I am stuck!

Indeed she was, for not long after she had passed through the gates to the Fae city than they had been closed & barred. Sneaking in had been easy enough, as the guards had been too distracted with the Trent (a Tenderer, you say?) to notice her slip through. She was very good at staying hidden & so far hadn't been seen, but it was only a matter of time. She didn't dare follow them into the hospital, deciding instead to skirt around the side to see if she could peek through a window. I shouldn't have followed them!

What she saw disturbed her - she couldn't hear more than a few muffled words at best, but she did see the injured Fae gesture to the Trow while saying something about 'Aeon'. She then witnessed the Archmage capturing the Trow, while the Trent attempted to defend them. There was some sort of argument & the Archmage seemed to agree to release one of the Trow, but took the other prisoner. The look in their eyes - both the Archmage & the Trow - gave her chills. The Trow seemed to know his fate, but the Archmage's eyes were stone & cold.

After the Archmage left the room, Morea plopped down on the ground under the window & tried to think about shat she should do. Why would the Archmage call for a Tenderer? And what does he want with the Trow? And who or what is 'Aeon'? Oh, I should not have follow- Suddenly the window above her burst open & the released Trow came through it, jumping up & scaling the wall! Wow, she thought, he's good at that, admiring how quickly he climbed to the roof. Then she shook her head & thought, Well, I've come this far, might as well go the rest of the way, & she started to climb after him. She was not quite as quick, but her clawed hands & feet gave her a good grip, at least. She worked her way up the stone wall & peeked over the edge of the roof to see where the Trow had gotten to.

I really should not have followed them...  

[Venom3001]

Theridan was lying on his back, balanced perfectly and effortlessly upon an inches-wide beam, staring at the sky. "Mmm," he grunted, his soft greeting almost lost in the wind sixty feet above the ground. He wasn't in much of a mood to talk - he'd much prefer to be stabbing "Saturnine Rhapsody" in the throat - but the dryad woman was not, and did not deserve to be treated as, the object of his ire, even though she'd helped heal Nine.  

[Jokerman-EXE]

When Archmage Azrial had entered the room, Osiris had been filled with admiration (though not the fawning adoration that the general public seemed to have in spades); more of a respect that he hoped would one day be mutual. Osiris' goal, after all, was to be on a level equal to the Archmage's.

Then some heavy s**t started to go down. Azrial seized one of the Trow that Osiris had been tracking. Three factors stopped stopped Osiris' objection: first, he was wounded worst out of everyone in the room, and that was not a condition conducive to drawing attention; second, Ashling intervened first, and she was louder and more fit to do so; and thirdly, Azrial had left before Osiris could do anything. Essentially, he had just laid there while in the period of two minutes, their group had been split and divided amongst itself.

The connotations of Azrial's words wasn't lost on Osiris, either. He thought of himself as more progressive, and didn't like to see the distinction between the Aros and the Ulla. Then Theridan popped out of the window, Nine vanished to cause trouble, and Ashling headed out afterward. That left Osiris with Zuberi, in a hospital bed, feeling not only weak but powerless. Left alone, Osiris began to feel more and more meek and began to brood on his own failings. It was a dangerous walk; he was right on the border of depression as it was for his repeated failures.