Loved by the Sun

[Tally]

Mother Sun is bright and hot today, shining down from a cloudless sky and giving life and light to the world. She is blessing their holy work here, Dimitri thinks. She must be. And why not? Now that She has descended to earth and given Her eternal blessing to the Solisi, it is time for the faithful to crusade for Her. That is why he is here. That is why they are all here.

Before Dimitri is a view of the village below. They are just outside of it, away from curious eyes. He turns his back on it and rejoins the rest of the Lumenari. Dimitri is blonde as most Solisi are, with the red-orange flare to his eyes that others say are an omen of favor, though his skin is somewhat darker than it should be for a Solisi. That shamed him in the past, and he walked the streets of Solis with his head down and his shoudlers hunched, but he has since learned that it is of no matter, especially not among the Lumenari. They are all brothers and sisters under the Sun.

Still draped over the back of one of the Lumenari's horses is their most unfortunate prisoner. Unfortunate because it is finally going to meet justice for its transgressions. They've covered it in heavy black cloth for now to spare it from the Light, but they are in a secure position now, and it may be time to see what it knows.

"What do you think, Vulcan?" Dimitri says. He glances at the bird anthro—currently in his human form—before nodding toward the dark shape slung over the horse's back. "Should we let it feel the touch of our Mother Sun? Now's as good a time as any I suppose. And if there are any more rats like this one around here, it can tell us where they are." Dimitri's smirk turns into a grin. And if there are others nearby, we will bring the Sun's justice to them, as well.

[Anonymous]

Damn feathers, Vulcan thought blowing up and going cross eyed in the process, the golden feather propped its self back up like it was meant to and after a few moments of waiting for Dimitri it fell back down. This time, the bird anthro just ignored it, who knows; maybe it gave him a slight rugged look… Not that he really cared. Vulcan looked towards the sun, his cornflower blue eyes partly closed, even though it was his goddess, and even though he worshipped the glowing mass of light, it was still really bright and whether he liked it or not, it still hurt his eyes. The bird heard footsteps behind him and he looked at Dimitri, flashing him a quick fanged lopsided grin. Vulcan didn’t really know what to do with the rat in the sac but he tilted his head to the side, in a very birdlike fashion when the younger man said his name.

“I have no idea, torturing is your thing, I just destroy stuff.â€? The golden-feathered haired male said, reaching behind him with his three-fingered hand to pet the hilt of his five-foot long sword with his right hand. It looked heavy, it was heavy, but it was one of those things that got lighter the more you carried it around, in his right hand he held a staff with many pointy things at the top that looked like they could break off with enough force, needless to say both his weapons were deadly. The anthro’s eyes fixed upon the thing in the black bag once again as it began to struggle. “Well, it’s awake, that’s always a good thing… You can torture it while I stand around and make sure it doesn’t escape. How’s that?â€?  Vulcan rose his eyebrows and gave Dimitri a questioning look.

[Rhindeer]

"Hey, Dimitri, can I help?"

Swinging down from from her horse and landing lightly on the ground, Niamh strode casually over to where the squirming rat lay hidden from the Light. Hands folded behind her back, the seventeen-year-old looked the struggling thing over curiously, blue eyes bright. Heh...one thing could be said of it, and that was that it certainly had spirit; it had put up quite a fight, and it looked like it was still going at it. At least, that might be something one of its own kind would say. Nah, the truth was that these heathen were just like cockroaches. They just kept going. They bred just as quickly, too, from what she'd seen...they were all over the place.

She could almost feel sorry for those ignorant masses.

Almost.

With light skin and jaw-length hair so blonde it was almost white, Niamh couldn't help but feel pride for having been blessed with such a fair complexion, the very picture of a Solisi. Of what a Solisi should be. She knew it was perhaps wrong of her to think that, wrong of her to judge others of her brethren, but she couldn't help the occassional surge of pride whenever she saw another darker than she. But, perhaps it all evened out. Whenever she felt her head swelling a bit too much, all she had to do was look at the much darker Dimitri's eyes; he was dark, and yet his eyes were like fire. All the faithful were blessed under the Sun...and their leader, Dimitri, was perhaps the most blessed of them all, with those eyes...

That was as good a reminder as any, and she did need the reminders. She shouldn't think of her brothers and sisters in that way, and she knew it. It was a bad habit she knew she needed to break.

"What're you gonna do to it?" she asked, finally turning away from the prisoner to peer up at Dimitri. "I'll help out?" It was meant to have come out as an offer, but ended up coming out as more of a question, a request, even. Oh well. She just hoped he'd let her. It had been a long, boring ride, and she was itching for something to do.

[Tally]

Dimitri taps a finger against his lips and considers before looking back up at Niamh. She is among the youngest of them, but he chose her for the Lumenari because she harbors that rare depth of dedication needed to do the Living Sun's good works. And she is the truest image of a Solisi, with the fairest of skin and near-white hair. She will have no trouble finding a husband if ever she decides to lay down the cause of the Lumenari and serve the Living Sun in a different way—by raising children to follow Her ways.

"Aye, Niamh. You can help out. These things...they truly are like rats. Where there's one, there will be a whole colony, all of them living together in their own filth. This one will tell us where we can find the others, and we will bring the Sun's justice down upon them."

He reaches down and pulls the heavy black cloth from the drow, and it cringes as the full light hits its eyes, thrashing against it's bonds with renewed fervor.  Dimitri rolls his eyes when it starts railing and cursing in that obscene drow tongue. As if it didn't put itself in this situation. If it would've stayed deep underground where its kind belonged, the Lumenari would have no quarrel in it. Even rats have their place, after all. How very like a drow to blame others for its own mistakes.

"Niamh," he says. "Make it naked. Vulcan, when she's got its clothes cut off, stretch it out and smash its legs. I don't want any chance of it getting away. " One good hit to the kneecaps with Vulcan's sword ought to shatter its bones to splinters.

After they caught the thing, Dimitri had ordered some of the other Lumenari to fashion a cross for it. They've been busy nailing the wood together and driving the cross into the ground, and Dimitri wanders over to inspect the structure while Niamh and Vulcan do their work.

[Anonymous]

Lajia felt the light caress of Mother Sun's blessing all around her as she took careful even steps toward the prisoner and the ones beginning to interrogate it. Her golden blond hair was tied back in a long braid reaching down to the middle of her back and it lay unmoved as her blue eyes moved up to stare at the heathen drow. She doubted her particular skills would be needed here, at this time. Unless the creature began to die while it was still needed to give information, she would not need to call upon the Mother Sun's gift to her.

Even that would be almost too much. It was almost unholy for her to use her gift on one who was not one of the Lumenari. The Mother Sun would understand, but the simple thought of it sent shivers down Lajia's spine. Fortunately, she had full confidence that she would not be called upon. The heathen would certainly fail quickly under the questioning of the Lumenari. They had the strength that the Mother Sun gave them, this drow had nothing.

But, that itself could be their undoing. It had seemed a strong creature, but now that the Light was streaming down upon it, perhaps it was weaker than it seemed after all. In that case, she would make her presence know, and her gift available at Dimitri's call. The Mother Sun would not want her to be stingy with her gift.

"I would like it know, that though I doubt I will be needed, I will gladly use my gift if the prisoner's body weakens too far before his mind." Satisfied that she had done her part, she fell silent to watch. It would probably be the opposite, that the drow would linger in its death stubbornly, and in that case, it would not be her that was needed.

[Rhindeer]

Niamh couldn't help but grimace a little as the creature was revealed, a dark thing with oddly fair hair, almost as if to spite Mother Sun. These vermin were enemies of Her glory, and...and Niamh couldn't help the vague feeling of disgust that filled her, that something should try and defile their Mother so. Her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste as it thrashed uselessly, spouting its jibberish. But it was no matter. Enough time with them, and they'd have it singing not only the location of its nest, but praises to Mother Sun.

"I'm on it!" With a nod to Dimitri, Niamh went calmly to her horse to fetch a dagger from her bags, and was glad she'd thought to keep her riding gloves on, because that was one less thing to fiddle with, and there was just no way she'd actually directly touch that thing. Not that she had to worry about that, and she knew it. She was protected under the Light, but that still didn't mean she wanted to get any of its filth on her hands if she could help it. An actual raid, on the other hand...she could deal with that. But if she actually had a choice, she liked to avoid direct contect if necessary.

Taking the dagger, she lifted the drow's shirt and slit it down the back, then simply peeled it off until she met resistence where its hands were bound, where she cut the rest of the fabric away from its body. Then came the removal off boots, and the trickier removal of breeches, which was made more difficult with the presence of a thick leather belt. With enough sawing, though, she made quick work of that, and was easily able to peel the rest of its clothing off, leaving its black skin bare and vulnerable to the rays of the Sun. Of course, she did have to eventually cut the breeches off, too, as its legs were also bound.

She was not exactly gentle in her work, and by the time she was done, there were quite a few knicks here and there in its skin from the knife; not deep knicks, for she knew it had to be in good health, but enough to show that she really didn't care what happened to the beast. Through it all, she paid as much attention to its jargon as one might a squirrel's chatter, and when she had finished, she wiped her blade off on a handkerchief and sheathed it in her belt.

Except...hmm. She couldn't help but frown as she looked over the thing, about ready to peel her own gloves off. All that fair hair was really bugging her. It was lighter than even hers, and it was a blasted heathen! It had no right to have such hair.

"Dimitri!" she called, looking out to where he'd wandered, to where the great cross was being constructed. "What about its hair? Should we shear it off? Look at it! It's so light...like it's trying to shame our Mother..."

She glanced to Vulcan and Lajia in turn, as though looking for imput.

[Anonymous]

Asahi took no part in the talk about what was to be done with the Drow that had been captured. She did listen to it attentively, though. If her name was to be called, she didn't want to miss it. Twenty-six years of age and as energetic as a teenager. Just not as ambitious or eager as one. Patience was one of her qualities that many seemed to favor; Solisi and heathen alike. It was one of the very few things she had received from her father. He had always been a proud and superior-feeling man, as any Solisi would be. Yet still patient. Her mother, on the other hand, was always quick-tempered and felt like she was at the top of the heap. Good that it wasn't something Asahi herself had inherited.

Just like any Solisi she had that pale complexion. It was not out of the ordinary, but it didn't draw attention to itself. It did, however, allow her hair and her eyes to draw most of the attention. Bright white, if that's what you wanted to call it, was the color of her hair -- almost light what a platinum blonde would appear like in the brightness of Mother Sun. Only her hair was that color no matter what kind of lighting she was in. It was even whiter than the color of her desert-sand blasted white stallion which she was sitting on; bareback -- the only way she rode a horse.

But her eyes . . . Those dark, crimson tinged orbs of hers . . . They drew more attention to themselves than any other part of Asahi's body. They were her father's eyes, the only other thing she inherited from him. They burned an intense fire and were rather intimidating. They had to be. She was following in her father's footsteps, interrogating captured heathens and rooting out others that may be a cause for concern. Patient yet fierce. Like a desert cobra stalking its prey. A great analogy for her, it fit so well that she never gave second thought to it; no reason to.

Niamh's words caught Asahi's attention, her hands gripped tightly onto the stallion's reins and turned him about to face the group. Of course, after he protested by whipping his head in the other direction and gave a soft whine before settling down. Throughout the entire trip, she had made no attempt to look at any of the other members of the Lumenari, there hadn't been the need for her to do so. Now she looked down at Niamh and the Drow, the sight of the dark skinned being searing her eyes a bit and taking her attention away from her thoughts. She looked over to Dimitri.

For the first time during their long trip, she dismounted her horse, her hands still grasping the reins. That white hair of hers was long enough to trail on the ground behind her feet if some of it was not pulled back by a piece of cloth. The white shirt she wore was very loose, no sleeves, torn at the bottom to dangle just above her abdomen. From her waist to mid-thigh was a tanned cloth skirt, smooth and comfortable for long journey's like the one they were on. Poking from behind her right left was what seemed to be the bottom of a long sheath, the strap coming up across her stomach and her chest and over her left shoulder. The golden hilt above her left shoulder reflected light down on the Drow. The blade in general was almost larger than she was herself, but very light compared to her.

"Not yet, Niamh. Not yet." Her first words to anyone else since they had embarked. Asahi was a silent one all right. When she wasn't needed anyhow.

"It is mockery of our Mother Sun. The Drow probably takes pride in the mockery it is creating." Her dark eyes trailed down to the Drow after she nodded her head at Dimitri. "Yet it could be used to the advantage of getting information out of it."

[Anonymous]

Being content with trying to get the bent feather to stand up straight he gave a nod to Dimitri demand before zoning out and ignoring everything, he caught the odd parts of their conversation, but it was about it’s hair… He could care less about the things hair.  Vulcan was no Solisi, he was a bird anthro and he didn’t even resemble a Solisi, his feathered hair was golden brown and his skin was tanned, not to mention he only had eight fingers in total. Vulcan watched Niamh as she cut off the things clothing and he made a face, he had no idea how she did that. “Disgustingâ€? was all he said, before grabbing the hilt of his sword and pulling the blade out of its sheath.

The Five foot blade was indeed heavy, which was the reason why he made no point in keeping it up, the tip dug into the ground when it fell and he glared down at the thing before lifting it up and resting the blunt side on his shoulder. Vulcan cast his cornflower blue eyes to the Drow again, he knew he had to make the thing unable to walk, but, right now it was blind, it would be blind for at least half a day before its eyes became used to all the light, and even then its sight would be horrible.

Vulcan rose the side of his lip as he looked down at the thing, disgusted at its naked body, no these Drow weren’t rats they were disgusting little bugs that had no point to living. The Luminari are their exterminators.  Looking at Dimitri again he waited until he got the okay to bring the blunt side of his blade upon the naked things knees, Vulcan would be sure that he made no promises to hit its knees before he swung, but he was sure, either way, leg bones would break and the thing would be unable to walk. Which was what they were after.

[Tally]

((Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of days. The internet in the dorms is down, so I'm having to use the library computers. ^^ ))

As Niamh is cutting off the drow's clothing, Speaks-the-Light comes forth from among the Lumenari to stand beside Lajia. Though he is young for a priest—a mere twenty-two years of age—he possesses the calm serenity one would expect to see in a man thrice his age. His blonde hair is ornamented with bells and beads and it falls in a waterfall of light down to his ankles, where it is bound with yellow and white ribbon.

"I fear they will need your talents all too soon, Lajia," he says, and his voice is sweet and soft as a distant birdsong. "There will be a raid today. I do pray we lose no lives in the effort." The smile that graces his lips then is light and cheerful. "Though I suppose I worry for nothing. We have never lost a warrior yet to the drow."

The cross is finished, but still lying on the ground. They will raise it up after they've tied their guest in place. Dimitri turns from it then at the sound of Niamh's voice. "Haha...I do like the way you think—"

He sees it then...his warrior's eyes take it all in a moment before it occurs. Vulcan, standing ready with his massive sword. Lajia and Speaks-the-Light standing off to the side, looking on.  Asahi dismounting to address Niahm, who stood over the drow with her dagger in the sheath on her belt. He sees it all in that instant, and he sees the tensing of the muscles just before the drow strikes.

"Watch yourselves!" Dimitri manages to get out just as the drow slips its bonds. It moves like a weasel, fast and wormy in its actions, and it must not be so blind as it would have them think, for it snatches Niamh's dagger from her belt and launches itself at Lajia in a wild play for freedom.

[Anonymous]

Lajia glances at the priest as he comes to stand beside her, her gaze respectfully acknowledging his presence before her attention returned to the front. Her lip curled as she gazed at the drow's hair. She too did not like that it had hair the color of the Mother Sun's light, but there were many not of the Lumenari who did and she reigned in the spark of anger easily.

She is slightly startled when Speaks-the-Light speaks to her and her mouth forms a grim line. "Though I wish it were not so, I fear that you will be right. There are always some heathens who dare to strike at the children of Mother Sun."

Lajia fell back into silence, her mind going distant. Mother Sun knew that the Lumenari could be hurt, that was why she had given gifts to those like Lajia. She had not been born with the gifts of a fighter, and all the training in the world could never have made her good with anything except for her daggers.

Dimitri's cry startles her from the contemplation of her Gift. She had barely an instant to think. She managed to throw herself to one side, falling clumsily as she scrambled for one of the defensive daggers at her waist and roll into a crouch at the same time.  She managed it, just barely, but she was no fighter, nothing against this enemy. Her thoughts raced furiously for a way out but all she could do was attempt to keep avoiding the drow. Perhaps she could get in a slash of her dagger, but she doubted it.

This creature was desperate, and it had perhaps chosen her purposely because she was the one least able to defend herself. Even her dagger could be knocked aside by one with greater skill. And their were many fighters better at fighting with these long daggers. She hoped the drow was not one of them.

[Anonymous]

Nyva brushed dirt, dust and whatever other organic debris that had attached itself to her from the blue fabric of her clothing and brushed her fingers over the hard edge of her sword hilt. The welcome rays of the sun washed over her golden skin, shining with the thin layer of sweat that had situated there from her trek across the land. She brushed a few fiery red feathers, her version of hair, away from her face, her eyes scanning the ground before her even as she traveled back to the group. She had been out scouting for more vermin, securing the position of the Lumenari above and all other creatures below. By far, the most detested were the drow.

Her amber-orange eyes fell on the group, a drow writhing in the center under the heat of the sun, the same glowing orb that made her features bright and gave her strength. Wasn’t this the very thing that proved they were so superior to the rest? Their very perfection, their love, their ability to thrive under the sun as opposed to these heathens who ran, scurried, away from it. It was not very often that Nyva’s thoughts became so heated, but she was annoyed with the species after having been scouting them all day.  

“Nice catch.�

She reached the group, standing beside, although slightly behind, Vulcan as he raised his sword and a smirk found its way across her lips, her boots finding their place firmly in the ground. So, time to torture another one? And she’d almost missed it. Her mind processed the situation quickly, registering all the people around, all of them Solisi, save her and Vulcan. She had never felt any less than the Solisi, and considered them closer in superiority than any other creature, although at times she could be a bit arrogant.

She caught the drow’s actions as he broke his binding, moving with disgrace to grab at Niamh’s belt, making an attempt on Lajia, a futile attempt at escape. Nyva rolls her eyes slightly, unsheathing one of her swords, hearing it slide out on a path of precision. It just had to be like this today. She glanced at Vulcan, wondering if he was following along with her. He should already be there, considering his sword is drawn and ready to go. Nyva broke off from Vulcan’s side, running up behind the drow, the sun glinting off her drawn sword. What an entrance. She’d been looking for one all day, and she has to find it here. She was glad to see Lajia pull out of the way, but that did not waver her intent. Nyva reached out with her free hand, grabbing at the drow’s shoulder to pull him away from Lajia, ready to strike.

[Rhindeer]

Back turned to the drow as she opened her mouth to answer Asahiâ€"hmm...she did have a point thereâ€"Niamh was completely unaware of the drow's actions until Dimitri called out and she felt the tell-tale tug of her dagger being slipped from her belt. Oh crap! For the span of a very long second, she expected to feel her own dagger biting into her flesh, driven by the hand of that filthy drow, as she whipped around to get the creature back in her sight. She shouldn't have turned her back! But she had thought it was secured! That had never happened before! Ohh, and her staff was still with her horse, and now it had her dagger, and she didn't know how to fight with her hands and feet like some did! Heck, she was no knife fighter, eitherâ€"that was just there for practical usesâ€"as it was only the staff that she'd been trained in!

But even as she turned, trying not to panic and ready to dodge as much as possible, she felt it breeze past her as it launched itself at Lajia, who managed to tumble out of the way, thank the Light. And then Nyva was upon the drow, sword drawn, and Niamh knew Vulcan would probably be there next. In any case, she knew they could take it. With them on it, it was as good as captured.

Blue eyes still wide, Niamh watched after them for a few moments before releasing the breath she had been holding and brushing her pale bangs from her brow. Oh jeez...that had been close. Way too close. And as the shock and adrenaline wore off, her brain started functioning again, and...aw, man...she'd...she'd completely forgotten. She could have helped...she could have blinded it...hurt it...

Like Lajia, she had been blessed with one of Mother Sun's gifts: the ability to manipulate fire and, if she really focused, individual components of fireâ€"light and heat. But she wasn't that good at it, and instinct always instructed her to go for the more tangeable defense and offense methods, first, like her staff. She didn't like to admit it that, not even to herself, because...it just...it made her feel bad that she wasn't very good at it, and that she didn't trust that ability. It made her feel like...well...like she didn't trust Mother Sun. Which she did! She did with all her heart, and she knew it! She was faithful! She just couldn't help but worry that others would interpret her lack of confidence in that area as a lack of faith. That would be the worst.

In truth, well...she was just among the youngest, and she was still learning.

Hopefully her blunder went unnoticed. She'd just have to play it off like nothing had happened. She hated it when she froze up like that. She could still act, make up for her inaction!

"Hey, you okay? It didn't get you, did it?" Niamh asked breathlessly, falling alongside Lajia and glancing over the woman with obvious concern, but only for a moment. A second later and her eyes were back on the drow, watching as Nyva confronted it, and Niamh shifted enough to position herself between Lajia and the potential fight. Lajia was the healer among them; she couldn't fight. Niamh was hardly any better without her staff, and now with her dagger missing, but she did have the Sun's blessing, and she watched the confrontation intently. It looked like Nyva had it under control, and if she did, Niamh didn't want to screw up anything by causing a distraction that could possibly bother the other woman.

[edited...because I misread a post... XD]

[Goldie]

The Priestess to the Great Mother Sun watched silently from her position on the hill beside the traveling Lumenari.  Her vision a few weeks prior mirrored the image that progressed before her, a blonde Solisi leading the troope with darker skin than normal but eyes like fire, his sparse followers most of which were of the blessed race.  It was pleasing to the Great Mother to have such loyal followers and her brightness shown down upon them to show her pleasure.

Her glittering rays pulled through Oinnanai's snowy hair in a loving way that let her know this was who she had been seeking and her golden eyes lit up with excitement.  Finally she was about to complete the mission that had been laid before her, even if it only led to another journey, she would celebrate in her heart the completion of this one step in Her great plan.

The scene unfolded just as she had seen, but still the watched silently, disgusted by the rat that was now revealed to her Mother's piercing stare, a stare that sometimes took over her own and spoke through her.  She could sense Her anger at this horrid creature, destroying the world She watched every day with its ugly blackness.  Creatures like that should never be allowed to walk in the beauty of Her world and it was the destiny of the Lumenari to carry out such a mission and free the good people from such horror.

But for now, all the Priestess could do was sit and watch, waiting for the moment she was meant to intervene.

Since birth her family had known that Oinnanai was blessed with the Great Mother's touch just from the gold in her eyes and the perfect porcelain skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight that spilled through the window of their home.  It was a blessing that few were born with, and those who were heeded this with great reverence.  She knew her parents only for a few years before the Sisters came from the Mother's temple and took her away to start her training as a Priestess and join the Sisterhood.  As she grew the blessings of the Mother Sun only grew upon her as the Great Mother herself spoke to her and showed her what she must do.  She was destined to be the medium between the Mother and her children, to spread her words, or preachings to those who so needed to hear her.  It was a great mission, something that she had dreamt about with great anticipation, and now could barely supress her fear.

Why would anyone listen to her?  A girl just barely twenty and held the title of High Priestess?  She was the youngest to finish her full training and now she was expected to spread the Mother's words....Sure she had the look that most Solisi longed for, the white hair, nearly white skin, and golden eyes...but would the troope just look at her as the perfect Solisi, or as an actual messenger from the Mother Sun Herself?

She didn't have time to think as a small pull at her heart told her it was time to act.  The rat had nearly escaped and was only held back by the point of a sword....

Standing quickly, she made her way down the hill with as much reverence as her racing heart could muster.  Her first impression would stay with her for the rest of her stay with these Lumenari, she could not risk fumbling through her words, not on something as precious as this...her first mission....

Great Mother give me strength she thought desperately as she entered their circle.

"Do not kill it." she declared, her voice gentle from years of prayer and solitude, but firm from the energy the Great Mother infused into her heart.  This was it...this was her chance to live up to everyones expectations, now was the time that the Mother Sun's voice was to be heard for the first time among strangers.

[Tally]

A snarl fixes itself on the drow's face as Lajia dodges out of the way of its seeking dagger. It casts about for an escape, but Asahi, Speaks-the-Light, and now Niamh and Lajia block its path. Every direction offers a fight, and a fight is not what it wants. All it wants is to get away.

Nyva's hand on it's shoulder causes it to whirl, white hair whipping out in a defiant fan, and it brings the dagger up against her sword but their engagement is but a mockery of a fight. The drow is outclassed and wielding and inferior weapon and all it can do is back up before Nyva's attack and deflect and dodge as best it can—until the glowing, white-hot point of Dimitri's scimitar protrudes suddenly from its chest. Dimitri, standing behind it, releases his grip on the sword's hilt, and his fiery eyes follow the drow as it falls to the ground.

Dimitri nods to Nyva. "Well done." His lip curls slightly in disgust as he looks down at the spitting, cursing thing at his feet. The metal of the scimitar burns brightly as a small sun and the stink of burning flesh fills the air. Dimitri plants a booted foot inbetween the drow's shoulder blades and yanks the scimitar out before driving it in again, putting his weight into it this time to drive the blade into the ground and pin the animal down.

An unfamiliar voice draws his attention away, and Dimitri looks the stranger up and down before answering. Clearly, she is a priestess. That much any Solisi would be able to tell. He bows his head to her in greeting. "Welcome, Mother," he says, and he unsheathes his other scimitar. "This rabid beast dared to walk the surface, and now it has attacked our healer." That more than anything else puts the fire of anger in him. If the thing would attack a healer, why not any other defenseless woman? Why not a child? "It's clearly a threat to decent folk. Have you a use for its life, Mother?"

And while Dimitri addresses the priestess, Speaks-the-Light moves to retrieve Niamh's dagger from where it has fallen. He hands it back to her, though his words are for Lajia. "Are you well, child? Are you unharmed?"

[Anonymous]

Lajia climbed to her feet, her daggers still in front of her warily, glad that the real warriors had dealt with the problem. She knew she was no match for such a creature. She allowed herself to bask in Mother Sun's light, letting the warmth spread and comfort her still hurried heart. She heard Niamh ask a question and blinked, looking at her from blue eyes. "No, it didn't get me. I'm fine," She answered softly.

She heard the voice behind her and glanced at the woman who told the others not to kill it. Her eyes widened slightly as she split her attention between the woman and the drow. She saw the blade slide into the animal and felt a great satisfaction to see the heathen put down, and pride in the warriors filled her heart. Nothing could harm her or the others like her when they had such strong warriors among them.

Then the priest is handing Niamh back her dagger and asking her a question. The healer lowers her daggers and keeps her eyes down as she looks to the priest. The attack had shaken her a bit, but it appeared it was now under control. "I am well. The others made sure that it did not touch me."

She grimaced as she remembered how close it had come. To think that something that was so far from seeing the true light of the Sun would attempt to touch any of them was unthinkable, yet it had just happened. Her blue eyes traced a path back to the struggling drow and her lip curled up in disgust. "What evil will it attempt next?" She questioned, half under her breath.

She glanced at the new priestess and eyed her in doubt. Why did she want the creature to live? Surely if it had attacked her, it would not hesitate to attempt to escape again. Lajia retreated a few steps, placing herself out of harms way. There was a slight bit of guilt as she realized that perhaps this could have been avoided if she had not been so close in the first place. But then, would it not have attacked someone else?

Lajia wanted mostly to hear the answer to their leader's question. The enemy of Mother Sun was alive if not well right now, but Lajia could hardly think of a use for such a beast.

[Goldie]

A flash of disgust crosses the Priestess' features as the leader of these Lumenari briefly explains the crimes against the beast.  He was already condemned for having such disgraceful black covering him and the attack just made it more clear than ever that this race was in great need of extinction.  The moment the emotion crossed her face, Oinnanai focused her mind on years of training her face to stay calm.  Now the only way to sense her anger and horror was from the flames that lept in her golden eyes.

"It's life will never be of use," she began, her voice just as calm as before eventhough her heart beat against her rip cage with enough force that she was afraid it would explode through her chest.  Her eyes looked down at the thing, pinned to the ground like a bug, "Our Great Mother has use of his words.  If it will speak, then let us kill it swiftly, if not, then She shall take great pleasure in watching its agonizing death."  She made sure that as she spoke these words they were loud enough for the Drow to hear, a warning of which path it now had the choice to follow.

Stepping closer to the monster, she pulled a gold chain from around her neck, a small orb hung from the necklace and pulsed with an inner fire she had been captured between the mystical glass.  It had been a gift from the Great Mother, a stone that could detect a lie in whomsoever it touched and filled a lier's veins with fire until they chose to tell the truth.

The thought of touching that thing and allowing its disgust to stain her skin was enough to keep Oinnanai from placing the stone around the drows neck, and instead she slipped the chain around the handle of the weapon protruding from it, and watched as it slipped down the pole and rested against its chest.  The stone pulsed once to assure the Priestess that the interrogation was ready.

"In the name of Our Great Mother," she began, standing just far enough away that should he flail she would be out of his reach, "If you answer untruthfully, you will regret every second in the time you have left to live."  Her eyes were hard as she looked at the ground just beside its head, unable to degrade herself by looking into its eyes.  "Are there any more of your kind nearby?"  The first question was placed and all that was needed was an answer.

Looking up at Dimitri, she tilted her head and stepped back, allowing him, who had much more experience in such things, to take over with any other questions he might need.  Her duty was only to ask about those nearby, Dimitri could continue the questioning if he wished.

[Anonymous]

With a light snort of distaste towards the drow Vulcan lifted his sword over his shoulder and looked down at the form pinned to the ground with the sword. A light smirk was on his tanned face, as his cornflower blue eyes looked from Dimitri to the priestess, wonderful, an interrogation with a barbarian like this thing. Vulcan was quiet sure this wouldn’t go to well with anything, it probably didn’t even speak any of the common language! The Bird Anthro scoffed and put the tip on his sword between his feet and rested his hands on the hilt, it reached to around his elbow. Quickly Vulcan looked around the small group, his eyes resting on his sister, Nyva, for a moment before looking back at the figure on the ground.

“Hmph, I don’t think that will do much. It’s a drow, not only will it probably not answer your questions, it’ll probably like your torturing it.�

Vulcan gave a nasty sneer and pulled his sword up and out of the ground, placing the blunt side on his shoulder so he didn’t hurt himself with the five-foot blade. Nyva thought his sword was pretty ridiculous, he liked it just fine, got the job done quickly and messy. Just the way he liked it. Vulcan ran a clawed hand through his feathered hair and placed a hand on his hip, what would they have to do next? More scouting? Ah, that sounded just dandy. Bird-anthro man looked towards the priestess and the healer girl who was almost attacked, shaking his head a bit, extra weight to haul around, but oh well. Vulcan was no Solisi, and he certainly didn’t want to be one… He wasn’t really keen on having the Living Sun ruling over him, the sun was evil in it’s own way, and very good… Which meant that this Living Sun could probably be a major bitch. Then again, everyone can be one of those.  Vulcan gave a glance towards Dimitri then walked over to the elder man, his four fingered hand keeping a tight hold on the heavy sword to keep it from falling or swinging and lopping off some heads.

�So, Dimitri, what do we do after this one here bites the dust?�

[Rhindeer]

Niamh watched the skewered and squirming drow with a mixture of disgust and fascination in those blue eyes of hers, all the previous stresses fading away as the problem was solved. Wow. Those things were like roaches! Stabbed twice clear through the back, and it was still thrashing and cursing. Absently, she took back her dagger and sheathed it, though her eyes were still fixated on the drow as she watched it the same way a child might watch a living insect that had just had its wings or other such limbs removed. It was interesting, really interesting in a very strange sense, and she found that, no matter how vulgar the beast and how putrid the smell of roasting flesh was, she couldn't turn away.

At least, not until it occurred to her that Dimitri was speaking to someone. Lifting her eyes off the pinned drow, her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the woman Dimitri addressed as a Priestess, and she quickly tuned in to catch as much of the conversation as she could. It seemed important, because it seemed to have halted Dimitri from using that other scimitar on the beast.

Ohhh...an interrogation. That should be fun...

"Even snails writhe in pain if you put salt on them. Pain's like the one language everything can understand. Even those things. I think," Niamh said casually to Vulcan as she returned  to her horse and got out her staff. Just in case. That creature had managed to slip its bonds; who was to say it wouldn't find some gruesome way to slip off the sword or something? She'd always heard of trapped animals gnawing off a leg or something in desperation to get out, so who was to say that animal wouldn't wiggle off that sword, even if it did cut itself wide open in the process? That'd kill anyone else, but...maybe its organs weren't in the same places as with humans? Light, but the thing was alive after being stabbed twice!

It might be interesting to cut it open just to find out. Well, at least, to Niamh, but those kinds of things always fascinated her. She'd always been a curious soul, always liked to explore and adventure. That had been one of the things that attracted her to the Lumenari. Not only did she get to work for a good cause, but she got to see new things, too.

Grabbing her staff, she returned back to the group and crouched down a bit away from the drow, laying her staff across her knees. It was a good, thick quarterstaff made of some strong wood, and though it was plain and without any of that special steel, it served her purposes. She was still learning it, but she could get by well enough.

"Besides...don't we have to ask it anyway? Where the others are, I mean."