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Raiding Party [M] | Sarang

Started by TheUnforgiving, February 08, 2020, 06:22:29 PM

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TheUnforgiving

The village of Hahill had been dead when Serish had left three days ago to hunt down the infestation of gruffs that had been stampeding through the few suitable farming plots on this part of the mountain and the gardens of half the people in the village.  Aside from the priests that seemed to run the village, there had barely been enough people around to keep the place running; most of the houses were dark and locked up, no one was on the streets, and the local inn was only serving two other patrons in a hall meant for a fifty. 

So it came as something of a shock to Serish when, upon returning, the streets were packed.  Carts and wagons were double-parked, everywhere she looked, leaving barely enough room for the hundreds of people swarming over them like ants to unload and carry off the cargo.  Sunset was still a couple hours off, but over the bustle of the revitalized town, Serish could still hear musicians plying their trades from somewhere amongst the crowds.

:Well, they're looking lively,: Xaraea noted.  :Seems the village is seeing a windfall.  I wonder if we can take a little off the top.:

Serish considered the sack of gruff horns she had slung over her shoulder, trophies from her hunt and the only proof she had for the job.  She'd had to settle for fifteen coppers a head -- or pair of horns, at this point -- instead of the twenty plus hazard pay she'd wanted.  The trouble with gruffs, and the one thing the alderman had refused to believe about them despite all the supporting evidence, was they tended to get bigger and meaner the more of them you killed.  Yes, the ones that had been trampling the gardens were easily dispatched, but Serish had rather quickly graduated to gruffs big enough to trample her before driving the herd off this part of the mountain.  Horns large enough to hold a week's worth of lamp oil were worth more than fifteen coppers individually, let alone as a pair.  But, if Xaraea was right, the village being flush with new goods might mean the alderman would be willing to pay a little extra now that Serish had proof the problem was a little bigger than he'd wanted to believe. 

"Sorry, fifteen is still as high as we'll go," the alderman chortled, handing her a pouch of coins before downing another swig of ale.  Serish felt a blood vessel in her forehead throb.  The old man hadn't been in his house where she'd first met him and she'd asked a resident where he was.  The resident had, kindly, pointed her in his direction, only for Serish to find when she got there that the alderman had moved elsewhere in the village.  After going through that five more times, she eventually found him amongst he densest concentration of carts in the town square, which were still loaded down with goods.  Serish had been convinced he was deliberately avoiding her, but now, seeing how rosy his cheeks were getting and the subtle slur creeping into his speech, perhaps he'd just taken a tour to sample all the varieties of alcohol the town had brought back from wherever it had gone.  He likely didn't register her scowl and continued before she could lodge a protest.  "But, what we can do... Look at this sheepskin.  Have you ever seen such fine sheepskins?  You're welcome to take some as payment, in recognition for your hard work."

"I'd prefer something that traveled a little lighter," Serish answered, trying to keep her voice tempered while still leaving the unspoken implication of like coin lingering in the air between them. 

"Of course, of course," the alderman answered, turning back to paw through the carts, completely oblivious.  "Let's see here, leather...pottery...axes..."

:Something tells me we'll not find much of value in this podunk little hovel,: Xaraea groused.  :We may just have to beat the money out of him.:

"Cordwood...blank scrolls..."

"Wait, really?"

The alderman stopped his inebriated rummaging, "Yeah.  You want some?"

Serish planted her feet and tried not to sound too interested.  "Maybe.  Depends."

The alderman pulled three small tubes out of one of the carts and handed them to Serish.  The first two held thick rolls of parchment, enough for a couple manuscripts.  But the third--

:Oh, hello,: Xaraea remarked. 

Inside the third was at least half a dozen individually-rolled sheets of vellum.  It wasn't the best vellum in the world, but to any frontier village or town it was still luxuriant in the extreme.  This alone was probably worth more than half Serish's sack of gruff horns. 

:Better not make mention of that, dear.:

:Hadn't planned on that.:

Serish tucked the tubes under her arm and turned her attention back to the alderman, who'd already gone back to digging.  "Have anything else?"

"Traveler like you, you gots to have some use for herbs, right?  Medicinal and whatnot?"

Serish had to admit he had her pegged on that one.  Master Ephes hadn't taught her much alchemy, but she did know enough that it'd saved her life in the field in the past.  She'd lost her alchemy pouch after the Ancin had killed her and and the orcs had looted her corpse, and while the Serha Plains had offered a few ingredients, she'd exhausted most of what little she'd been able to collect in her hike through the treacherous terrain of the Thunderblacks.  She took the sturdy leather pouch the alderman offered her -- not as nice as the one Ephes had given her, but still up to the task -- and flipped it open.

:Elftail, King's grass, jewelhood... oooh, ambertea.  You could make some fine poisons with these, love.  Did I ever tell you about the time I killed the king of Nelibi with springshoe extract?:

:No, but-- Wait, you started the War of the Starsong?:

Xaraea gave a throaty chuckle with barely-contained pride.  :Yes, you should have seen the looks on the faces of the Dolarond delegation as the king's flesh withered.  It was as if they had just set their own city ablaze.:

:Nelibi did burn Instow to the ground with the entire population barricaded inside.:

:And your father fed well that day.  The power that flowed from so many mortals begging for salvation from any entities they could name... Power that will one day be yours, my sweet, when we find the Skull.:

"These will do nicely," Serish told the alderman, not wanting to entertain thoughts of her father or his enchanted prison. 

The alderman answered with a rumbling basso guffaw.  "Of course, of course.  With those weregoats gone, we should be able to grow more before the winter, thanks to you."

"Gruffs," Serish corrected idly, buckling the herb pouch onto her belt.  "Well, if that's all you have, I guess I'll turn in for the evening."

"Whatever for?" the alderman roared as he took up his tankard again.  "The party is already starting!"

Serish tracked the tankard skeptically.  He hadn't been anywhere near this hospitable sober.  "I can see that.  What party?"

"We've just sold our finest batch of stone yet.  Everything you see in these carts, paid for by the best masonry in the central kingdoms!  We're drinking in the new year!"  He threw his arms wide, knocking a stack of wicker baskets out of the cart behind him and, judging by the furious squawking that followed, onto an unfortunate chicken.  The man didn't seem to notice and downed some more ale.  "Come, stay.  I can already smell Macha baking her world famous pork buns!  I'll tell Druso to hold your room for you!"

Serish shifted uncomfortably, not sure how seriously she should take the offer.  She certainly couldn't smell any pork buns, just the barnyard stink of dozens of animals all in a confined space, and most towns she'd been to had been very keen to have her on her way before sunrise.  Hahill hadn't been any different, and it wasn't until she'd agreed to leave town after she'd taken care of the gruff problem that the alderman had finally agreed to pay her. 

:Come on, Serish, live a little!: Xaraea whined as the alderman walked away in the direction of the inn.  :Or at least as much as we can in this muddy backwater.  And if they do try to throw us out we can kill a few before we leave.  We haven't had fresh food in weeks, so let's at least take theirs while they're offering.:

Serish's stomach gurgled at the mention of fresh food.  Xaraea was, as usual, right.  It had been a long time since she'd eaten anything other than trail rations and cured meat.  What few places she could afford to eat would rarely serve her.  None had known for certain she was a demonhost, but everyone acted like they could smell it on her.  But if the alderman and everyone else were going to be too drunk to notice or care...

:Alright, let's go join the party.:

:Oh no, not like that we aren't,: Xaraea cut in, manifesting her human form -- that of a tall, striking woman with tanned skin and chocolate hair dressed in harem jewelry and a diaphanous slip that could only stay on her body by means of magic -- to give Serish a walkaround, her bare feet never quite touching the muddy ground.  "A set of dirty, lived-in armor is something I wouldn't be caught dead in at a party of any kind, even one as lowbrow as this.  No, something nicer is definitely in order."

"I don't have anything else," Serish growled.  "My formal apprentice robes were on the Light of Arcanum when Ancin stole it."

"Check the third cart on the left."

Serish took a furtive look around and, upon seeing no one paying attention to them, moved to where Xaraea had indicated.  Inside one of the crates was a pile of folded clothes.  Most of them were wool or cotton in various blends or colors; sturdy, comfortable, nice without being too flashy--

"But what about this one right here?"

Naturally, Xaraea had pointed to the most expensive article in the box: a red and white silk robe with gold accents and white fur trim and a complementary set of fashionable leather boots.

"Seriously?" Serish protested.  You think they won't notice this one robe out of all the others is stolen?"

"And you think they will?" Xaraea shot back.  "They're going to be drinking all evening and well into the night.  I'd be surprised if they noticed what colors you were wearing."

With one last reluctant look at the folder robe, she pulled it to the top of the pile and began stripping out of her armor, with Xaraea making wordless approving noises all the while.  With some help from the edge of the cart, she managed to get into the new outfit without getting mud on anything.  Looking at herself in a polished bronze mirror, she had to admit Xaraea had a good eye for these things.  The fit wasn't exact, but with a few tugs it was close, and with some minor changes to the pattern the outfit would be a dead ringer for Serish's apprentice robes.  At least until Xaraea held out the last article of the outfit to her. 

"No," Serish said flatly.

"It's part of the outfit, love," Xaraea told her, her voice dripping with mock innocence. 

"I'm not wearing a corset."

"That robe isn't designed to stay up without it.  You'll be holding this ensemble together with your hands all night.  Unless you'd rather I use my hands..."

Serish felt herself flush as she snatched for the corset and wrapped it around her waist.  Making a show of suppressing an amused smirk, Xaraea deferentially made some minor adjustments so it sat comfortably under Serish's bust before tightening down the laces.  Serish made sure to hold her breath so she'd have room to breathe in it later.  She checked herself in the mirror again.

"Just.  This.  Once," she told the demon firmly, though even as she said it and saw the Xaraea's eyes on her, she felt her resolve on that point slipping. 

"Of course, my princess," Xaraea answered, folding her hands subserviently in front of her and giving a bow of her head, her eyes blazing with excitement.  "Now, we have a party to attend."
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

With a long drawn out breath she exhaled a whole lung's worth of air. The restless fidgeting was a sure sign that she had been here for too long again. How had she remained in the same place for that long was a mystery to Kerin. The old woman clutching her lamb in her arms bowed deeply in gratitude.

"You know a fence would help to keep them in, and predators out." Kerin mumbled in a sarcasm dripping tone. People here had become complacent, careless and relied way too much on her. But she knew that it was Jonay's only lamb this year. So all the crying and begging had moved Kerin's heart enough to return for a short time and help her. With a sigh, she waved her hand. "Go now."

The old woman carried herself out of sight and Kerin sighed, her shoulders slumping now that nobody was watching her. Why did she do that to herself? Bloody sense of responsibility. She let herself drop against the edge of the table behind and took a moment just for herself, listening if anyone else needed her help. When she didn't hear anything she moved her arm to the side to grab her staff. It wasn't a magical one, but when she wandered she liked to have something to support herself with. Also, it looked cool.

'Alright where to go next?' she thought to herself, just eager to get out of here. She closed her eyes, as always and just went with her 'good luck' approach and with an electrical plot vanished into thin air.

As she opened her eyes again she stood in the middle of a stream of people and the next moment was pushed and almost fell. "What in the blazing sun..." she muttered and looked around. She wasn't too sure where she was - or not sure at all - and what was going on. But there were a lot of people. She heard music, smelled booze and saw people enjoying themselves. Well, that was a whole lot better than that sleeping village that had been her home for a too-long time.

As she took a step she bumped into someone who stared down from his towering height. "Look where you're doing, kid."

Kid? Her eyes widened before squinting. "Call me kid again and I'll show you .."

But the man was being pulled away before she could even finish. Just then she realized that nobody would know who she was, and she did look like a fifteen-year-old. Couldn't the bloody gods grand her to at least look like an adult?

With her blood rushing in her ears she continued her way and found what looked like the heart of the party. She had been to the one or other harvest festival but this was a whole lot bigger and more impressive than those she had seen. Tolum had a lot to learn. As the sweet scent of meade floated into her nose, Kerin was pulled out of her admiration and headed right to the source of it.

A stall with an opulent woman, with a friendly face, behind an improvised bar counter looked at Kerin in surprise when she ordered a big one. "Are you old enough to drink already? Where are your parents?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kerin blurted out. "Give me my drink."

"Not with that tone, I won't, young lady." The woman crossed her arms and Kerin scoffed.

"Young lady, my ass." She huffed and glared at the woman. "I'm a whole lot older than you. If you don't give me my drink I'll show you 'young lady'!" Her voice had grown louder and she ignored the looks she was getting from other sides. She was tired of being treated like a child, these stupid gods could bite her.


@TheUnforgiving

TheUnforgiving

Serish leaned against the bar and suppressed a chuckle.  She remembered when she'd been in that position.  She'd snuck out of Ephes's manor by scaling the wall, diving down into the moat, then running as fast as she could into town.  It was the first time she'd ever been able to slip past his guards and surveillance spells and the first thing she did was go to the nearest tavern and try to order a drink.  She hadn't had any money -- everything she owned had been furnished by Ephes and he'd never saw fit to give her spending money -- so she paid by tearing links off a length of gold chain she'd pocketed while delivering treasures from her latest excursion to his treasury.  Each of the links turned out to be worth enough to buy a round for the whole crowd and the night had turned positively riotous.  Of course, Ephes had caught on rather quickly, somehow, and dragged Serish out by her hair.  The punishment for her disobedience had been something Serish had longed to forget, but it had been worth it to stick it to the old bastard, the first of only a precious few opportunities she'd had to do so before he'd put her on that ill-fated voyage aboard the Arcanum

Maybe it was the her own mead talking, but Serish felt an inexplicable amused sympathy for the girl who claimed to be old enough to be everyone's grandmother.  When the barkeep turned her back, Serish reached over to swipe a tankard from a reveler who wasn't keeping a close enough eye on his drink and started to slide it nonchalantly across the bar towards the girl.  Xaraea, who was facing out away from the bar, propping herself up on her elbows and arching her back in a way that did rather mesmerizing things to her chest, casually stopped the tankard as it went by with a finger placed daintily on the rim.

The demon mindspoke a warning.  :Don't get too friendly, Serish.  That's not some village maid looking for a night of fun.:

:What do you mean?:

:Look.  Closer.:

Serish scrunched up her eyes and extended her magical senses.  This was the part of magic she'd never been very good at, the focus.  She never had the makings of a good wizard.  When she did magic, the magic just happened.  She could exercise some control over it, but what form the magic took was largely independent of her conscious thought.  It always did what she needed it to, but how it did that was another matter entirely.  But Ephes had still drilled the wizardly discipline into her anyway and some of it had taken, including honed magical senses, even if it was difficult for her to make it work. 

It took a few seconds for what she was sensing to resolve into something identifiable, like stepping out into a sunny day after crawling through a dark cave, but when everything came into "focus", as it were...

:What the hell?:

The kid had Power.  Cosmic Power.  Deific Power.  It wasn't anywhere close to what Serish had seen in the few temples she'd visited in her life, or even in the same league as her father, in the brief moments she'd spoken with him while she had possession of Ymunth's skull.  But there were a lot of wizards out there who could never hope to have Power like this child had.  Or perhaps not a child after all.  Just something in the guise of a child for some reason.  A trickster?  A tester of virtue?  Given what Serish had just seen, this deity either tested some really petty virtues or tested things Serish didn't even want to begin to contemplate. 

:What's she -- it? -- doing here?  And what's driving her to drink?:

:Some sort of guardian deity,: Xaraea supplied, her mind-voice thick with suspicion and mistrust.  Serish didn't blame her; none of the few deities they'd brushed elbows with had particularly liked either of them and they returned the sentiment wholeheartedly.  :A minor one, perhaps provincial to the village.:

:Like an aspect or servant of Udlad?: Serish asked, nodding in the direction of the temple up the hill, where the council of priests that ran the village were loftily and obviously not participating in the village festivities like the passive-aggressive curmudgeons they were.  :Then why is she human and not a dwarf?:

Xaraea's mind-voice took on a note of impatience. :Maybe it's because most of the inhabitants of this village are human?  Maybe it's because she's not related to Udlad at all?  She was probably called by a part of the population that doesn't worship Udlad, not that I can see why anyone would worship something that may as well be a rock for all the personality and humor it has.  Or she may have arrived to deny a particular threat to the village Udlad couldn't or wouldn't take care of.  Deities play by their own rules.  You mortals put too much stock in a grand order to the universe.  There is only chaos and power.:

:Well, this deity's rules seem to involve her wanting to drink a lot, so I'm thinking we ought to let her so she doesn't start burning the town down around us until people treat her like an adult.:  Serish tugged the tankard free of Xaraea's restraining finger.

The demon's face soured and her mind-voice became waspish.  :Getting drinks for the other pretty girl, are we?:

:I mean, I didn't think you could--"

:This body isn't just for show, love.  I thought you would know that.:

Serish began blushing furiously again and felt her throat go dry.  "Two more, please,"[/i] she rasped at the barkeep.  The woman gave her a skeptical look when she saw the not-quite-girl still standing at the bar, scowling up a storm, but Serish gave a slightly sheepish glance in Xaraea's direction and the barkeep relented a little, coming back with two more tankards of mead before going back to serve a group that had just walked up on the other side of the bar.  Xaraea took hers and sipped at it languidly, as Serish quietly slid the second to the frustrated deity. 

"And to think they're even less pleasant when they're sober," Serish jibed, low enough that only the three of them could hear. 
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

As the tankard landed before her on the bar, Kerin looked to the woman who had pushed it there. Finding her look directly at her she decided that the mead was meant for her. Why the stranger did that was a mystery to her. But that barmaid had not looked like she'd give in any time soon, so she wouldn't complain.

Reaching out Kerin grabbed the tankard, a little skeptical of her generous gifter but offering her a small nod. Eyeing her, she took a big gulp. Her green eyes wandered to the woman with her, furrowing her brows. Something was different about her, Kerin could feel it, she could see it. She wasn't... normal. Sadly everything else was out of her powers because it appeared that the 'gift' she had received with her position did not intend to give her a lot of power, just the powers needed to keep Tolum safe.

That meant she could see magic when it was present, just not what kind or the origin of it. Simply because attacks of magical beings needed a different approach than non-magical ones. As the taste of the mead filled her mouth and ran down inside her body she lowered the tankard but held it tight in her hands as if someone would take it away again if she gave in even an inch.

"What are you supposed to be?"

TheUnforgiving

Serish smiled amiably but kept her words careful, taking Xaraea's advice for caution around this deity.  "A spellsword.  Last survivor of an expedition out southways.  Been trying to make my way back north ever since."  She took another appreciative sip of mead, in no rush to continue the conversation.  "Just got back into town a couple hours ago after helping the locals take care of a gruff problem and the party was already in motion.  Figured I'd stick around for some good food and relaxation before heading on.  This is my...companion, Xaraea."

She fiddled with her long braid of hair and stumbled a bit over the words.  She wasn't sure what she and the demon were. 

Before she could continue down that line of thought, Xaraea responded with a chilly "Charmed," never moving or taking her eyes off the carousing crowd in the storeroom that had been hastily repurposed into a serving hall.  Townsfolk were bringing in fresh plates of food to lay out on the big table against one wall where others were snacking or piling plates high.  The rest of the walls were occupied by makeshift bars, staffed by what Serish suspected to be the town's would-be craft brewers, eager to unleash their uncertain concoctions on an unsuspecting populace.  Serish had sampled some of what was on offer and while some of it had been decent, there was a reason she was at this particular bar. 

"Never actually been to one of these things," she mused aloud.  "There anything to do here or are these just elaborate excuses to get drunk?"  She downed the last of her mead, savoring the rich flavor before continuing, "Not that I'm opposed to that."
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

Taking another gulp, Kerin took a quick look around the premises. She shrugged and turned her eyes back to the strange women. "Hell if I know. The celebrations I witnessed were remarkably smaller than this. But those were getting drunk and dance until the night."

The crux with never leaving Torum. There was no huge party for anything in that village. For that, they would have to borrow people from several surrounding villages and who really wanted that? Not with the dangers that would come with that. Thinking of that it had been surprising that Kerin and her brother had been accepted into their rows that long ago.

She looked into her tankard. "This isn't half bad." So Kerin took another gulp, turning her attention back to the people around. "If they realize that it's all for nothing?" she asked, more to herself than to the women. "It'll all pass, could be any moment with another raging monster, jealous wanderer or bored deity."

Kerin pulled herself out of that macabre thought, not realizing that if someone knew what she was, they could have easily seen it as a threat, and turned to the women. "Your friend always this... friendly?" she asked the spellsword.

TheUnforgiving

"She can be a people-person when she wants to be," Serish answered diplomatically.  It didn't draw a positive response from Xaraea.  "She's just grumpy because we haven't been to a place with warm baths and satin sheets since we got on the boat headed south."

Xaraea made a dismissive sound and sipped more of her mead.  "Just because we walked out of the desert doesn't mean I have to accept a lower standard of living.  There is more to life than hunting bandits in the woods while living like a vagabond."

"I'll just ask the mountain stone miners to build us a Serenian bordello, then."

"Darling, please.  I've yet to meet anyone on this forsaken continent that knows how to build a proper bordello."

Serish was content to let that comment speak for itself, although she was more than a little intrigued by Xaraea's idea of a "proper bordello."  She was interrupted by a raucous cheer from somewhere outside the serving hall.  Serish leaned back on her stool, fingernails digging into the surface of the bar to keep her from toppling over, trying to get a better look out the nearest door to figure out the source of the noise.  A throng of people had gathered in the square the serving hall opened onto.  The crowd blocked sight of what was happening, but it was clearly entertaining them.  Serish rocked her stool back forward and, with a shrug, took her tankard off the bar and walked out to see what all the fuss was about. 

After shouldering her way past a few drunken spectators, she found a fighting ring had been marked out with good-sized logs and a pair of men inside sparred with quarterstaffs. Every time one of the combatants got hit or stumbled on the uneven ground, some part of the crowd would erupt into cheers and another part would hurl insults with equal enthusiasm.  After a few moments of watching the fighters stagger around each other, Serish determined the they were just as drunk as the audience.  After watching them completely whiff several easy strikes, Serish determined they probably weren't very good sober. 

"Well, this will be interesting," Xaraea remarked dryly from over Serish's shoulder. 
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

Kerin looked after the women for a moment, holding onto her drink. Why would she care what these people were doing? But that facade of not caring was pushed away by her curiosity. She followed, not quickly but more casually strolling through the path they had made and stepped next to the Spellsword whose name she still didn't know - or had forgotten, Kerin didn't recall.

For a short moment, she watched the men fight each other. As she took a sip her green gaze wandered over the audience egging the men on. The deity shook her head with a sigh. "Why would they need any enemies if they can just knock the shit out of each other." Her tone showed that she was anything but impressed with that behaviour. She scoffed. "Mortals."

With that, she took a few steps to the side outside of the knot of people and looked around the village. Something in her tingled oddly, a feeling she knew but she had rarely encountered it outside of Tolum. As another storm of cheers erupted behind her, her eyes wandered along the guide of the main road, the edge of the village visible at the end. She saw shapes, figures enter on said road. Canting her head she took another sip, emptying her mead.

She took a few steps back and reached her hand out to tug at the spellsword's companion's (Xaraea's) outfit - without taking her eyes on the guests.

"Want to see something that really is going to be fun?"

She asked and gestured with her chin in the direction of the newly arriving group that looked anything but friendly and walked down the road with purpose in their steps. And she had a distinct feeling that that purpose wasn't to celebrate.

TheUnforgiving

Serish caught the last fighter with a unbalancing strike to the ankle followed by a blow to the chin that sent him staggering into the heap of his three friends, whom he promptly tripped on and fell onto.  She raised her borrowed quarterstaff above her head and gave a drunken whoop of triumph as she walked over to the bookie that had been taking bets on the fight and asked him to fork over her payout.  The odds against her boast that she was worth for men in a staff fight had been substantial and the bookie was obviously reluctant to part with such a large pot.  It was probably more than the alderman had paid her for the gruff horns.

She looked over to Xaraea, who always approved of Serish putting other mortals in their place by shows of force, but found her attention not on Serish, but on something outside the village.  Serish followed Xaraea's gaze and caught sight of a new crowd coming to the village.  No, not a crowd, a formation.  Serish shoved her way out of the throng of spectators, to the sound of slurred protests, and moved over to Xaraea.

"Any idea what they are?"

"Would it matter?" Xaraea answered, voice thick with boredom.

"I need to decide how hard I need to knock them over for ruining a party that hasn't even gotten started yet."

Xaraea smirked at that, clearly amused with where Serish was leading the conversation.  "Well, they're armed and armored, so it would be advisable for you to do the same.

Serish bit her lip in consideration.  "Two minutes' run to our room, five minutes to prepare, two minutes back.  Will they give us ten minutes?"

"Probably not, but I'd rather not see that robe ruined.  I did just get it for you."

"Then wha--"

But Serish was interrupted by Xaraea discorporealizing and snapping :So start running!:  And run Serish did.
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

Kerin watched the pair uninterested - at least it looked like that. She actually wondered why they needed to go to a certain room to get prepared to 'have fun' with these people. Who would understand people? She apparently didn't. Kerin watched them run off, leaving her to stand alone with her knowledge while the villagers still enjoyed beating themselves to pulps. If they would put have as much energy in watching their environment they would have noticed these people by now. But be it as it may they didn't.

Now Kerin found herself in a tough spot of making a decision. Watch and see what they would do, or help them. They weren't her people, but they were still people. And these guys didn't look like they were up for a party, on the contrary. She watched them split up, spread out, but the group heading towards the festivities was still big enough to do serious damage. And from what she could see they weren't drunk, so they had an advantage to the villagers. 

What had the women said? Ten minutes? Maybe Kerin could buy them some time. Right now the men were far enough, but they would be here soon, definitely in a whole lot less than 10 minutes. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to her, which wasn't surprising since they thought she was a child. Who paid attention to them unless they annoyed someone?

She stepped to a better position, one where she could see a little more and pumped her hands, loosening up her fingers. Apparently she had decided which path to take. She hoped she wouldn't regret getting involved with these mortals. Her green eyes approximated the area of the festivities, making sure she included the building where the two women had vanished inside. Loosening her shoulders as if she was going to jump into the fight, she made sure to not be too close to the fighting villagers. Then she raised her arms in a fast motion towards the sky. Without warning high walls of rock and soil shot out of the ground forming a circular wall of fortification around the festivities.

The men would have to find out a way to get through it first. It wasn't foolproof, it would not hold forever, but it should give the two women enough time to get their preparations done and return and maybe for the villagers to notice that something was up. But they had not paid a single digit of attention. Kerin sighed.

"Excuse me." she said, though the lack of reaction was obvious. Nobody heard her. Kerin rolled her eyes. Yeah, she would definitely regret getting involved. With a sigh, she pushed the sleeves of her dress up to her elbows and prepared to really get their attention.


TheUnforgiving

Serish nearly took the door to her room at the inn off its hinges as she crashed through it, already tugging on the corset laces and pulling the robe over her head.  She'd left her armor and weapons laid out neatly on a table like usual, but this time there was no contemplative inspection ritual or lingering, teasing touches from Xaraea as she donned her equipment.  Silks and leathers were pulled on with much frantic hopping and the flailing of limbs and Xaraea helped secure the buckles for the shadowsteel plate with an uncharacteristic businesslike briskness.  Within minutes, Serish was geared for battle and crashing back out the doors to the inn, much to the bewilderment of the revelers at the first floor bar. 

While the growing unease in town hadn't quite reached the bar, it was starting to creep through the streets.  At first, Serish was only weaving between the wagons that were parked in the narrow village roads, but as she got closer to the edge of town, she started having to dodge and bowl her way through gathering crowds.

:Drawn together like herd animals.  Typical,: Xaraea remarked sourly as Serish shouldered her way through a clot of whispering townsfolk who'd drifted away from a large pole festooned with long, multicolored ribbons.  :Take the rooftops; we're never going to get past these imbeciles on the ground.:

Compared to scurrying along the rotting rafters of a forgotten tomb, that request was easy to fulfill.  Serish knocked over a staggering drunkard and made for a nearby wagon that had been stacked high with crates.  With a running bound, she hopped up into the wagon and dashed up the crates like stairs until she could leap for a decorative ridge beam protruding from the nearest rooftop.  Hauling herself up, she took off again, leaping from one slate-tiled roof to the next, and catching site of the new defensive structure surrounding the town.

Serish pointed out the obvious, "That wall wasn't there before."

:It seems the little deity isn't so young,: Serish agreed with a faint note of approval in her mind-voice.  :Most wizards would have had to walk around the town to raise a wall that size.:

"Will it hold?"

:Assuming the new guests don't have siege equipment or--:

Xaraea was interrupted by a titanic rumble that shook the earth and took Serish's balance out from under her.  She slid feet-first down the high-sloped second-story roof, her boots tearing off several tiles as she tried to dig her heels in to stop herself.  She reached blindly for a handhold, only finding one on the eave of the roof as the rest of her body went over the edge.  As she dangled from the edge, Serish looked around to find the source of the tremor.  At the end of the street, a section of the earthen wall was missing.  Not gouged out as if by a ballista bolt or a flaming boulder from a trebuchet, but removed as if someone had opened a door.  Standing before the gap was a creature Serish had never seen before.  It was vaguely humanoid, but its goatlike legs were set in a wide, sturdy stance and its four arms were clearly visible in the early evening light.  The upper pair of arms held two matching swords while the lower pair were empty, spread wide with the palms facing out...as if holding open a pair of heavy doors.

:Earth magic,: Xaraea finally finished.  :Of course they have earth magic."
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

Sarang

Kerin didn't even have the time to think of how to grab the people's attention when the ground shook and pieces of the earth wall she had just pulled out of the ground collapsed. She blinked, thinking that she had not seen any equipment that could destroy whole pieces of the wall but when the opponents came into view she saw why.

"What the... " she mumbled as she saw the goat legs and the swords in their hands, well in two of the four hands. So they got Earth Magic. of course they did. Because why not. The first thing she thought of was the one thing they could actually circumvent. This would be a bigger challenge than she had thought.

If Earth Magic didn't work, she'd have to find another way, or just walk away and not bother. She blew raspberries and turned to the town folks who had apparently noticed that something was up when the ground shook. Though them being drunk had two effects. The first was that they were eager to fight and prove who was the strongest the second was, that no matter how great the first was, their condition wasn't in any way a match for those who could think clearly.

Her eyes went up to the two women on the roofs, wondering if they would do anything. Kerin didn't know them well enough to make any guesses. And the steps behind her from those hooved folks grew louder. Okay... if Earth was their thing, was would help against them? She needed a better overview. With a swift motion of her hand, she pushed off the ground, and brought herself onto the roof of the closest building. She landed with ease and grace. Even if she didn't find a way to help those people at least she was out of the way.

As the goat-ies came closer she spotted the town well, to the side of their path. It would most likely not do much but make them stumble a little, but it would buy them a moment time to figure out what to do. So she raised an arm, waved it in the air and a stream of water lift out of the well, floated in the air and with another jerk movement of her arm it catapulted through the air towards the goat people, hit the first of them and push them to the ground. In the process, the ground around the group got soaked, became slippery and made them slip. But even if it was wet earth, it was still earth so she knew it wouldn't keep them for long.



TheUnforgiving

Serish knew an opportunity when she saw one.  From her vantage point, she called up a fireball and hurled it down at the mired and disoriented raiders.  It conflagrated on impact, rending a foxhole into the mud and sending the nearest raiders flying like explosive catapult shot.  The searing heat sucked the moisture and the very air out of the mud and an atmosphere around the foxhole, trapping the legs and arms of most of the raiders in the now-solid earth.

:Do you really think a bit of dried mud is going to stop them?:  Xaraea asked, incredulously.

:No, but it'll stall them long enough for me to get down there.:

Serish's sword was already in her hand when she hit the ground and ran towards the breach in the earthworks, the engraving on the blade erupting into flame.  The raider who had opened the breach had taken the brunt of the little deity's water stream attack and had gone tumbling several meters back away from the breach, where it now lay supine and half buried in the dirt.  Already it was wiggling its arms, trying to work its way free enough to cast another spell.  Serish didn't give it a chance, plunging her flaming sword into its chest where she guessed its heart was, twisting the blade sharply, then pulling it free.  The creature gave an ululating wail as the strike drew heartsblood, its concerted writhing turning into agonized thrashing as it bled out onto the cracked earth. 

Serish didn't even have a moment to savor the minor victory when Xaraea spoke up.  :On your right,: she said simply.

She needn't have said more.  Serish sidestepped and made a quarter turn, bringing her sword up to parry a paired strike from another raider who had been out of the way of both the stream of water and the fireball.  Steel clashed against steel as Serish managed to deflect both of the raider's curved blades.  Unfortunately, the raider had the advantage in number of arms, and while Serish's were busy controlling her sword, the raider had an extra hand it used to punch her in the gut.  The armor absorbed much of the impact, but the blow still drove her back on her heels, forcing her to give several steps of ground to avoid losing her balance.  The lingering heat from her fireball rising noticeably as she fell back and the scent of burning grass and flesh grew thicker on the air. 

Serish recovered her footing and planted her stance, holding her sword in a guard ready for the raider to push its momentary advantage.  It closed the distance with a bound of its goat-like legs and swiped its twin swords at opposite extremes of her guard.  She deflected the blade coming in low, sidestepping and ducking to avoid the blade aimed at her head, then followed up with her counterattack.  Goat legs, like horse legs, have a number of advantages, but they come at the expense of effectively like walking on the tips of one's toes, putting a lot of weight on the bones just above the hoof.  As the raider's weight came down on one of its legs, Serish aimed a swift kick at one of those bones, forcing it to bend in a way it had never been meant to and snapping under the strain.  The raider screeched in pain and toppled to the ground, rolling to keep its injured leg from touching anything, its swords left to lay where they clattered beside it. 

More of the raiders were drawn by the screams of their comrades, having broken free from their earthen prisons or recovered from being tossed aside by the torrential spray of water.  Serish sent one spasming to the ground with a thrown lightning bolt before having to drop flat to the ground to avoid behing hit by a flying boulder the size of a horse.  Serish took out another raider that sought to trample her while she was down with a lance of fire that speared one of its legs and sprawled it in a tumbling heap.  But wherever she took out one, three more appeared from the ground or from the smoke billowing from the spreading grassfire. 
"...who put swarm torpedoes on the Tev bombers?" -- Nighteyes

Serish: Demonblood sorcerer-spellsword

Alera N'Rali: Queen bee of The Sightless Eye information network

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