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

[SirBayer]

"Three," Trajan announced flatly, resisting the temptation to make some sort of ill-suited joke. "I trust that my mildly debilitation is not taking away a hospital bed from someone who could use it," he added, attempting to sit up. "Seriously, it was just a flashbang. Nothing serious."  

[Isa-sama]

((Isa here! First off, both Kaos and I are sorry for the delay in posting - we're both busy with IRL stuffs at the moment, but we've not forgotten you! I hope you're not too angry...we're trying to work out some kinks to make this an overall better RP. Till then, I give you this.))

Ashling nodded after listening to Canopy's suggestion. She personally didn't want to stop, but well, they needed rest. If any of those Trow try to mess with us, they'll be in for quite a surprise. Ashling got into her resting position and kept her focus on the surroundings.

Hmm. Nothing around us. Everything is quiet except for Canopy's swaying branches. Ashling's tense form relaxed the moment that Canopy had fallen asleep. The woman can surely make a racket. Ashling had finally learned (somewhat) that it was bad to silence a teammate by punching them in the face. After dealing with Canopy all day, it'd been a miracle that the chatty tree didn't get a full out beating. Finally, I have some quiet. Nothing is going to ruin...what's this? She felt something coming their way. But it was small. And somewhat noisy. Eh. Probably a racoon. Or one of the damn Druids taking a moonlight stroll. It was too far away to tell.

Regardless, Ashling kept her focus on that thing. Hopefully, it'd change course and she'd be able to rest in peace.

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

The Trow group had moved quietly and were making good timing. "Oi, Filly, I think it's time for a break, don't you?" Phallo looked at his brother with a little bit of hope. "Yeah, fine. We'll stop here for now."

After dismounting, the three took their time in drinking water and resting against the trees. "So what do you plan on doing after you return to Zangar, Theridan?" Filly was watching the man closely. "Can't imagine you got something special there." Phallo snorted. "He's probably got himself a girl to return home to, the lucky b*****d. S'why the set of morals," he uttered the last word with disgust.

Phallo would have continued mocking the idea of morals, but he saw something that made him smirk. "I think we've run into a bit of luck tonight." The two other Trow looked in the direction of where Phallo was facing - what they'd found was a young boy walking aimlessly in the dark. "Heh, where there's a kid, there's usually parents," Filly said. The older brother looked at the two and asked, "Why don't we see if he makes it back to his parents? After all, we wouldn't want him to be lost, now would we?" It was obvious that Filly wanted to follow the kid and see there was anything worth stealing.

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

Nine had a very boring journey. He'd yet to run into Trow, he'd not gotten to bother anyone, and it was night time. Shouldn't there have been something by now?

At last, something seemed to go right. He found a trio of Trow who seemed to be taking a break. What was interesting was the fact that in the middle of their break, they all faced a certain direction (thankfully not Nine's direction). Nine supposed something caught their attention. Whether these three were the ones he was supposed to track, he'd have to get closer to tell.  

[Isa-sama]

The Shepherd had been growing weak, and it was causing a lot of trouble with the Druid politics. Sylvia knew her granddaughter could lead the people to success, but whether they would listen to a young leader was another matter entirely. "Shepherd Sylvia," a soldier walked up to her, "information about that man has arrived."

Finally. Something about THAT man. He had been incredibly hard to track and information about him was just as hard to find. "What news do you bring?" The soldier replied, "I'm sorry, Lady Sylvia. We were not able to follow his trail. However, we know of a group of Trow who has gotten information concerning this man." While the Trow were amazing at gathering intel, Druids were the better trackers.

"I see. Keep searching for this man. I want him found alive and brought to me," Sylvia ordered. "Yes, ma'am. Any other orders?"

She rubbed her forehead. "We can't afford to send many men to find this group of Trow...send Osiris after them. Whatever information they have, I want." The soldier nodded. "As you command."  

[Jokerman-EXE]

Osiris was sitting in his quarters, holding a book in one hand and absentmindedly balancing a throwing knife on the middle finger of the other. When the soldier knocked on his door, Osiris said, "Enter," and flicked the knife into the doorjamb. The man froze before proceeding in, now more alert than he had been.

"Commander Darke, sir," the soldier said crisply, "The Sheperd has requested that you go out and intercept a team of Trow that are on their way back to Zangar. You would need to leave immediately."

The commander snapped his book shut and nodded. "Is there any reason that I was chosen, soldier?"

"Y-yes sir," the soldier said, stammering as Osiris stood and the guard realized just how tall the Druid commander was. "We need someone skilled to go, but we can't spare a large contingent of soldiers. Sir, she believes that the Trow have information on him."

Osiris froze in packing his small bag. "On him, huh? Interesting." He slid his bag shut and turned to the door. "I'll leave my soldiers here, then. There aren't too many of them, but they're all skilled. Let the Sheperd know that they're hers to command, if you would." He walked out, past the soldier, and headed for the exit.

The young soldier didn't know what to do, or even what was going on - not fully, anyway - but he knew that Osiris was going out, it would likely be dangerous, and something important was going on. The young commander was known for being bright, and he had ascended the ranks quickly, but this was rough - tracking a troop of Trow, alone? The soldier wanted to say something.

"Commander!" Osiris paused and looked back over his shoulder. The soldier swallowed. "Good luck." Osiris smiled, nodded, and left the building.

---

That had been two days ago. Osiris had tracked the Trow, as ordered, and eventually had closed in on them. At the moment, Osiris could see them: there were three, but that didn't mean much - it was likely that there were more, out of sight somewhere.

Osiris was about a hundred yards away, hidden amongst a stand of trees. As he watched, the Trow seemed to have their attention drawn to something. Following their gaze, Osiris observed a small boy moving alone.

Ahhhh jeez, he thought. This could be rough. Dropping his pack, Osiris morphed into a dark gray owl, picked up the bag in his talons, and flew in that direction while staying hidden in the trees.  

[SirBayer]

((No post for us?))  

[Venom3001]

"I know what you're thinking and I don't approve," Theridan replied, ignoring their earlier questions and rubbing his temple. "Something isn't right here. Stay on guard." He drew his dual repeating hand crossbows and checked each of the bolt cartridges. The mechanism was simple but reliable. Usually.  

[Isa-sama]

((I'm sorry, Bayer, I believe Kaos has something planned for you, so I can't do much. But I promise, a post for you will be out soon. Until then, this is all I can do.))

The nurse looked unconvinced at Trajan's persuasion. "Regardless, I want you to stay here and rest. Someone will come to see you shortly. Until then, is there anything I can do to help you be at ease?"

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

Filly stared at Theridan and gave a soft snort. "Don't be such a p***y. The kid shouldn't be out on his own anyway. Think of this as a lesson." He took out his dual daggers, ready to follow after the kid. Phallo followed suit with his bow and arrows. "I'm ready whenever you are," he said.

The three (though Theridan reluctantly) followed the child from afar. They saw that he was a young boy, and seemed to be wandering north. Whether by luck or skill, the boy looked in their direction with fear in his eyes - they'd been noticed. "Follow him," hissed Filly. The boy started running as fast as he could away from the trio.

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

Well this sucks. Ashling felt the kid get closer and closer to her. Not only that, there were people following chasing the kid. Men? Trow? Who the hell would pick on a kid? It was because the child was so young, she let him climb up her side and hide in her branches.

"Let's just shoot him down. It'll be easier to get his stuff," grumbled one of the strangers. Should have known. Trow. When one raised his bow to shoot at the kid, Ashling roared her anger and swiped at the man.

The roar awakened Canopy, who saw the Trow with weapons out. She stood in an attack position.  

[Venom3001]

Theridan reached out with his free hand, grasped Phallo's middle finger, and snapped it back, breaking it. Phallo cried out and dropped his bow.

"That is more kinds of stupid than I have words for," Theridan snapped. He saw a branch flying at Phallo - and by extension, him. He threw Phallo down and jumped over the branch, crouching to soften the impact as he leapt several feet into the air off the branch. He turned to the Trent. "Really? Do you mind? I took care of it alread-" Phallo punched at Theridan with his remaining good hand. Theridan deflected it. "Already. Do you mind, Phallo? I'm negotiating."  

[Jokerman-EXE]

Osiris landed silently behind the three and morphed back into his Druid form. He crept up behind one - Phallo, it looked like, off-balance and unfocused from Theridan's retaliation - and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The dark elf grunted and was about to object when Ashling's attack breezed just past where he had been standing. The Trow swallowed his objections.

"Why are you chasing this boy?" he asked, shaking Phallo by the neck. A small knife appeared in his hand, held to the Trow's throat. "Answer quickly, if you would." He nodded at Theridan when he looked back, signaling that it was all under control.  

[Venom3001]

Theridan turned on the Druid. "Put the knife down." He drew his second hand crossbow and glanced warily at the Trents and the Druid. "Now, come on. Let's settle this like civilized people and stop breaking each other's digits."

"You broke my finger!" Phallo protested.

"You tried to shoot a kid, that makes it your fault."  

[Jokerman-EXE]

"Your buddy won't try to kill you, me, or the kid?" Osiris asked. For some reason, he seemed concerned over Theridan's health.

Still, he slipped the knife away and stepped back. "Keep it tight, please. I'd like to get this over with quickly, as I've said." He smiled disarmingly as another knife appeared in his hand. Still, there was no hostility.  

[Isa-sama]

Phallo rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to kill the kid. I'm not that bad a guy. If anything, I'd just graze him. Shock him enough to fall." The reason Phallo spoke so easily was because Filly came up from behind the Druid and held a dagger at the man's throat. Where Phallo liked to leap before looking, Filly enjoyed being the cautious brother. "Touch him again, and I'll kill you." Regardless of whether Osiris meant well to the Trow trio, Filly did not appreciate anyone threatening his brother. "This is your only warning." He put the dagger away and stood by his younger brother.

Ashling looked particularly frightening with a child gripping onto a branch for dear life. She reached and grabbed Theridan by the waist and roared. Canopy stared at her friend in shock; Ashling was actually attempting to be nice!

Though Theridan was being squeezed, he wasn't being crushed. That was a miracle, considering Ashling's previous (and failed) attempts at being nice.  

[Venom3001]

"This is why I liked being a hermit..." Theridan muttered under his breath. "And do you mind putting me down?" He rested his elbow on Ash's thumb. "It's clearly not my kid. In case you can't tell, I'm, uh. A Trow. Dark One? From th'other side of the world from you? And that kid is, well, not a Trow. Obviously. Which leads to the question, why are you still holding me? I just didn't want this guy shooting the kid. Speaking of which..." He squinted at the kid, then his eyes went wide. He began squirming in Ashling's grip. "Oh s**t, oh s**t, is that an alien?"  

[Isa-sama]

Ashling squeezed the Trow slightly before dropping him on the ground. She tried shaking her head around to get the kid to drop from her head, but the little person just wouldn't let go. Dammit, I shouldn't have ever let this kid climb me.

The child had dark tan skin, brown eyes, and wavy black hair. He was very thin and fragile-looking, but apparently had a very strong grip. The kid seemed extremely scared, but wasn't making a sound to show it. In fact, the child had been silent the entire time.

she turned to look at Osiris,  

[Jokerman-EXE]

"I'm no thief," he said. "I'm Commander Osiris Darke of the Druids. I was sent to find them," he said, gesturing at the surprised Trow, "and, if it would please your honorable self, I'll get that child out of your branches."

In a show of good faith, he put all of his knives away. At some point, the one knife had become four. Or...were there more? It was hard to tell. Could be the darkness. Or maybe not.