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Fire in the Sky [M]

Started by Lion, August 10, 2015, 12:21:29 PM

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Lion

[Open by Request]

Dragons danced across the sky.  They always did here in the Thunderblacks.

And for once the night was quiet.  Or as quiet as it could be.  The roars of dragons could be heard off in the distance, but nothing exceptionally loud reached Iharu's ears.  The wind whipped his hair, the tall row on his head standing on end, fluttering about wildly as Garaduin swooped down toward the tree line.  The dragon pulled his wings back, flapping enough to slow down and drop on a rising crest.

From that perch they could see for miles.  It felt like ages since Iharu had last seen a sunset.  The purple of dark was already setting in, and the last rays of daylight were draining away.  The stars were blanketed above, the gray setting in, the scorching wind blowing the ash from cliff's edge.

Iharu held his breath for a brief moment, wondering at the world that the gods had made.  They were not his gods, but their creation was beautiful all the same.  His own god created his people, set them apart.  Perhaps he didn't make this world, but they were just as much a part of it as any others, entitled to life as every creature was. 

He paused, an ear twitching at a sound that carried on that wind.  Perhaps it was only the wind, gusting out from a cavernous crack in the mountainside.  However, when he heard it again he turned his head, and Garaduin did too.

The wind dragon craned his long powerful neck.  "You heard it too?" he asked in the brisk sharp tongue of Draconic.

"I did." 

In the distance, Iharu spotted a soft glow in the treeline.

Within seconds, Iharu mounted the dragon's back and Garaduin was off into the air, before long, there below them all, there burned a fire, a raging blaze that engulfed what looked like a village.  The dark elf's heart dropped into his gut, hearing the screams emerging louder the closer they flew.  It was an Adelan village...

They were not his people, but did it really matter?  The fire that burned below threatened everything in its path, and from the sky Iharu could see swarms of bandits pouring from the edges of unburned trees, hacking apart everything that moved.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

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The Red Legion

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Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

It was Jasper that alerted Khaiya to the mayhem below, Jasper who's keen nose and ears and eyes--far more sensitive than her own by leagues--picked up the distant scent of smoke and the sounds of cries. Of course a routine patrol could never be just that: routine. There was always something, some fresh new tragedy to deal with, and it had bothered Khaiya at first, back when she was younger, but she'd learned to harden her heart and steel her spine.

And she did just that as Jasper wheeled around and took them in close, closer to the fire and the screaming though it was difficult for Khaiya to see much of anything at first through the thick smoke that glowed misty gray in the light. Her eyes watered and her lungs stung despite her helmet's visor, though Jasper's powerful wings beat a path through some of the smoke, briefly dispersing it--

Just enough for her to get a good look at the engulfed village below and the bandits swarming it like ants on a corpse, firelight reflecting off their clothes and the crude armor several of them wore.

"Oh, fuck," Khaiya breathed--which soon turned to coughing as she inhaled smoke.

"That's a lot of bandits," Jasper calmly observed as he hovered. "But I could probably take them. One good earthquake and--"

"No! The villagers, Jasper."

"They die as we speak."

"No. Earthquakes. Take us in close, and be fierce. We'll startle them first, then--hey."

A breeze from Jasper's wings, coupled by the wind, cleared a path through the smoke, enough that Khaiya could see the silhouette of another dragon--with a rider. Thank gods!

Jasper caught Khaiya's thought before she'd even uttered it and let out a booming roar to catch their attention, and Khaiya waved to the rider. "You there! Help us!" she called--though it was very possible that Khaiya was actually helping them--right before Jasper tucked his wings in and dove for the village, letting out yet another menacing bellow deep and loud enough that one could feel it vibrating deep in their chests.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

The sound of another's roar caught Iharu off guard so that he had to grasp for the reins of the saddle.  He whipped his head around, spotting something flying off in the distance.  For several long moments, Iharu didn't know if these newcomers were here to help or hinder!  But a grunt from Garaduin beneath him told him otherwise.  Such was the language of dragons, stemming beyond words.

Iharu heard the cry of the rider the other dragon bore, screaming at the top of her lungs, a sound that barely was audible amidst the whipping of wind around his ears.  He dove in for the village below, plowing through the smoke, his hand reaching back and pulling out one of the javelins that were strapped to his saddle.

He held his breath, narrowing his eyes and trying to keep his vision clear.  He spotted the other rider now, closer now, and saw that she was armored and armed, the metal reflecting just enough from the raging fire below.  Something in her posture was familiar, the way she held herself on her mount, but few concrete details could be discerned when their shape rushed past the corner of his eye.

"Flank them!" he cried out, pressing his legs around Garaduin, causing the dragon to shift and arc a hard left in mid air.  As they gained ground enough, he spotted the riffraff of two bandits below.  He waited until they shifted just right, and when they were aligned properly, his arm launched the javelin in hand, the long shaft coursing straight and striking them both in the back in a single shot.  It skewered them, throwing both forward in a tumble.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

It was all moving too fast, and the air too smoky, for Khaiya to recognize either rider or dragon, and there would be time to learn who he was later. For now, she heeded his call and wheeled Jasper around to flank from the other side.

There were a group of bandits there dragging a family from their home and setting fire to the house, and it was those bandits that Khaiya and Jasper pounced upon.

Jasper dove, a surprisingly agile maneuver for such a bulky dragon, and Khaiya took aim with her bow and fired an arrow into one man's thigh as he made to beat the innkeeper. He let out a pained scream and dropped to clutch his leg--and soon those screams turned to more than just pain, but terror, joined in by his partners, as they looked up and saw the dragon bearing down toward them.

"Weapons down! Surrender or perish!" Khaiya barked as Jasper landed heavily in the small space, making the ground tremble, and she was certain she saw the crotch of one of those bandits' pants turn a darker shade as Jasper bared his knife-like teeth.

Needless to say, that group of three surrendered, and with a snarl, Jasper manipulated the ground around them--until, abruptly, the ground beneath them sank straight down, a good twelve feet, leaving them in a makeshift holding cell of earth.

But there were still so many others to deal with.

They took to the air again, and though one group surrendered, others were not so keen to. Some fired back at Khaiya and Jasper, arrows glancing off her armor and Jasper's thick scales, and drew swords and spears, and Jasper took those ones out with a dive, snapping them up in his jaws and claws and tossing them into the air to die when they landed, if his teeth and talons hadn't already done the trick. It seemed more were determined to go down fighting all the way than give up, and even worse...

The fire was spreading.

Khaiya searched across the village for the other rider even as Jasper dove again and smashed a bandit into the ground. Hopefully he was faring better.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

The mere gusts of wind from Garaduin's flapping wings, sent men hurling off to the side.  One man yelped as he was thrown into a burning building.  More javelins flew from  Iharu's pinning a bandit to the ground when pursuing a woman and her child.  A second swoop across picked two more from the ground, one that was promptly dropped from a great height, while the second was a tasty snack for the wind dragon.

Iharu spotted the blaze as it was spreading.  And he turned Garaduin up.  Any wind blown might simply throw burning debris further into the forest, devastating everything in it's path.  He gave one look to the other dragon rider, before flying off back toward the mountain where a waterfall poured out the side of it.  Going all the way back to the mountain would take too long, but the river that poured from it would be a sufficient amount of water.

Or so Iharu hoped.

When they were close enough, Garaduin turned and swooped down, opening his mouth and scooping up as much water as he could.  He glanced off the river as if ricocheting back to the sky and wings beat the wind as hard as possible.  Spray burst from Garaduin's nostrils as the edge of the fire came before them.

The dragon inhaled through its nostrils, trying to keep from swallowing the water. And when his maw opened, a burst of water sprayed out, wind carrying it far and wide, the hiss of water stinging the raging flames. It would not be enough. Iharu could only hope he could fly again in time.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

Oh, that was brilliant! Was his dragon a water dragon? From where Khaiya was, she couldn't tell that he was using wind, but that gave her an idea.

They needed to put out the flames. Jasper was an earth dragon, true, but more than water could staunch a fire.

She gave a quick look about the village, searching for more marauders while the other rider focused on the fire, but saw none. Was that all of them? Thank the gods. Now they could focus on the even bigger problem, the problem that threatened to swallow more than just this village.

"Looks like that's all of them," she told Jasper. "Let's tend to the fire."

And then they were off, and already Jasper was at work, the ground cracking below them as he gathered chunks of earth and drew them up, rocks and clumps of dry soil hovering in the air just below him. He dipped down briefly to snatch up a large boulder settled just outside the village--something Khaiya realized must have been a monument of some sort when she glimpsed the etchings on it right before he crunched it in his jaws and swallowed. Hopefully nothing important.

They made it to the other dragon-rider pair, where the fire was hissing and starting to put out gray smoke instead of black, and that was when Jasper attacked, letting out a bellowing roar that sprayed out earth and rock and dirt even as he dropped the rest of what he'd gathered onto the fire, covering it in soil.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

The spray of water was quickly running out of Garaduin's mouth and he rushed forward to spray the rest of the village to quell the flames therein.  Thankfully most of the fire there had found nothing more in proximity to burn and the fires in smaller houses died out.  Before long the edge of the forest was nothing more than a cloud of gray smoke.

And Iharu watched with wariness the other dragon that spewed dirt from its maw.  And the rider that resided atop him.  He didn't know how many villagers were still alive, if any, and for the moment that thought was secondary.  Though the other one had helped, Iharu wasn't just going to trust them right off the bat.

He pointed down to the village below and turned to swoop off in that direction.  Garaduin landed gracefully in the center of what used to be the square.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

The fire was out, thank gods--but the village was a wreck, and Khaiya wasn't sure how its villagers were faring.

Or if they were at all.

The thought made her stomach knot unpleasantly, but she took a deep breath and urged Jasper to follow the other pair to the town square, where they landed a short distance away. Jasper folded his wings and eyed the other dragon with his brilliant red eyes, blowing air out his nostrils that sent a cloud of dust billowing up.

"I don't recognize them," he told Khaiya. He was fully capable of speaking out loud, but kept their conversation silent even then. He was being cautious, Khaiya realized. "They're not dragon knights. Be on your guard."

It seemed silly to be wary of the ones who had just helped them, but...maybe she had helped them in actuality? Khaiya wasn't sure which of them arrived first; it was possible they were a third party here to loot the village, too.

But that just seemed ridiculous. Far too coincidental, even though their being here was strangely coincidental, too. With a slight frown, Khaiya took off her helmet and shook her hair free, then climbed down off of Jasper's back. She left her bow behind in the saddle, but was certain to slip on her baldric instead, sword safely sheathed inside it.

She tightened her gloves, then took a few cautious steps toward the other pair. It was dark, so it was hard to really make out the rider's features, but from a distance she could tell it was a man, and that his skin practically blended with the night.

"I want to thank you for your help tonight," she called out. "It was fortunate you were near."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

Garaduin was a much smaller dragon by comparison to the other's mount.  Wind dragons, while still large, were built for speed in flight, darting, diving, and pushing through the air the way a javelin takes flight from the hand of a skilled warrior.

Iharu did not initially dismount, and when he saw the other - woman, it was clear it was a woman now - was armed he tensed, but it was a slow tension that released when he slipped down from the saddle.  Garaduin showed his teeth a little, but it seemed more in an attempt to smile than to be intimidating.  He pulled saw beside him one of the bandits with a javelin protruding from it, and he plucked it from his back. 

No point in not salvaging lost gear.  It would save him from having to make more in the future. 

He stared at the stranger for a long tense moment before sheathing the javelin in the makeshift straps on his back.  She had proven herself on this day.  In the fray, she emerged victorious, and he reminded himself it was probably a good idea not to make an enemy.  So instead he stepped closer and bowed, coming into the pale moonlight a little clearer now.  "Hyn-Iharu Xicata," he said.  "I...I could."  It was strange speaking Common, Adelan seemed to prefer such a strange tongue.  "I could not sit idly by.  Uh...your name?  You are Adelan, yes?  Adelans must have names too."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

Oh.

He was tall. Tall and imposing.

That was Khaiya's first thought when the rider stepped closer.

Her second thought as he stepped into the moonlight, features fully visible now, was surprise at his turquoise hair, bright eyes, and the fierce tattoos crossing his face. She stared openly before she caught herself. He was definitely not Adelan, and when she caught a glimpse of pointed ears, she realized he wasn't human, either.

She snapped her eyes away from his face when he spoke, and had to concentrate on his words a little more than usual, finding his accent unusual. "Khaiya," she said at last, looking back up at him. "Khaiya Stone. I'm..." She paused, frowned. "Adelan, yes."

It was the easiest explanation.

Remembering her manners, she held her gloved hand out to him. "Well met. Though, ah, you're going to have to run your name by me one more time. I'm not sure I caught it the first time?" He had been saying a looot of syllables there!
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

Her own shape wasn't so slight.  Not that he would expect an Adelan Dragon Rider to be slight.  Not that he even knew what to expect of an Adelan Dragon Rider.  They were all savages right?  Although, he , considered, leading with that probably wouldn't be very polite considering this particular rider helped stop the battle.

Iharu bowed instead.  Even as she did not get his name.  She wouldn't.  Perhaps Adelan barbarians had not the grasp of language he assumed they did?

He smirked, letting out a breathy laugh.  "You may call me Iharu.  It is simpler," he said.

And he stared at her hand.  Oh, they did that thing.  Tentatively, he reached out and gripped her hand.  Perhaps a little tightly than he meant too, wiggling his hand about like a snake.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

"Iharu," Khaiya repeated with a nod, finding that much more manageable than...whatever it was he'd said the first time. She squeezed his hand, her own handshake strong but not crushing.

"It's a pleasure, then, Iharu. You fight good." And then she winced inwardly. You fight good? Good grief, Khaiya. But the social dance had never been her forte.

Withdrawing her hand, she went about tightening her gloves, just to give her hands something to do other than fidget. "We should check for survivors," she said, looking to the smoldering village, the smell of ash and blood thick in the air. "Just in case. I managed to detain two of the bandits, but I'm more concerned with this town."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

It was a sound plan, and better than standing here awkwardly and complimenting each other's boots.  Which, hers were rather nice, if Iharu was going to think about that for a minute.  He nodded to her and gripped a spear from hi back, just in case there were any stragglers. 

"You go west, I'll search the east side, we meet back by that hole you made in the ground."  Iharu nodded to her and scamperedoff quickly and quietly, searching through the rubble and ashes.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

Khaiya wasn't sure about Iharu, but her own search left her feeling gutted.

It wasn't a large town, which meant the raiders had been able to crash over it like a tsunami over a tiny coastal village--and who knew how long they'd been there before she and Iharu had arrived? She could have sworn she'd seen surviving villagers when they'd come across the place, but maybe what she'd actually glimpsed were other raiders. No. She could have sworn she'd saved at least one man before the raiders had gotten him--stopped them from hurting him, in fact.

But all she came across were ashes and bodies and the skeletal remains of what had once been homes. Rooms torn apart, meager belongings strewn about and broken. Blood here and there. Men, women, and children with slit throats and holes in their bodies; some had their clothes pulled off. Dead livestock, some burned alive, trapped in their barns...

She felt sick by the time she'd finished digging through the rubble and checking bodies for signs of life, calling into empty rooms in case anyone had been trapped. Sick and empty. Maybe this was the part she'd  been avoiding when she and Iharu had exchanged their awkward greetings.

And then, as she kicked down the door to a home that was little more than rubble (strange how the entrance way remained mostly intact, while the rest was in shambles), a sound caught her ear, like a whimpering cry. Her heart leaped, and she pushed some rubble out of the way, cautious of the ceiling that threatened to collapse, and then paused. It was too precarious. If there was someone trapped back there, she didn't want to make the one wrong move that would crush them.

"Hello?" she called, but got no response. Just more sobbing, and some choked coughs.

Shit...

"Jasper, where's Iharu? Can you bring him here? We'll need you, too. There's someone trapped here, west end near the tree, the one that's been split by lightning. Hurry!"

And while she waited, Jasper, who had left his spot to sniff around the buildings for signs of survivors, snapped his head up and looked to Garaduin.

"Fetch your rider," he said. "Khaiya's found someone."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

The worst he'd feared was gradually coming to pass.  He had a feeling that the village would not have survived even standing had they not intervened.  And he felt his stomach grow cold at how that even their arrival was providence in vain. 

He saw nothing more than ashes and the corpses that riddled the floor, hunt from trees, torched in scorched flesh, clothes shred apart, children slain.  He was not human, these were not his people.  But that did not mean he did not feel empathy for the repercussions of an attack of this degree.  These people lost everything, their lives include.  His gut twisted further, wondering if the same thing could not happen to his own people, to his home village, to the people he loved.

Such were the spare emotions he would give to humans, and it would not happen any time soon.

Iharu turned and spun to the shadow that flew over the top of him and landed beside.  "The other rider needs you, Iharu," Garaduin replied in a gutteral tone.  Iharu turned round and ran back to Khaiya. 

"What's the matter!?" he asked.  He spotted her inside the remnants of a building and he followed her within.  And with a flick of his ears, he heard the cry.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

At the sound of Iharu's voice, Khaiya whipped around to face him, expression grim and lips a white line.

"Someone's trapped in the rubble," she said, and a choked sob broke out, punctuating her statement. "I didn't want to risk extraction alone. One wrong move..."

She motioned toward the mess--and winced when the ceiling creaked and debris rained down into her hair. "I don't know what condition they're in. They won't answer me. I need help moving everything, carefully. We don't know if they're trapped in a pocket, or if they're pinned. For all we know, the weight of the rubble could be the only thing holding their innards in."

She bit her lip. Just one survivor, then. And if they weren't careful, it could very well be none.

"You aren't perchance a healer...?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Lion

The pieces of rubble around the dilapidated structure weren't promising, and Iharu had little hope of anyone within the remnants of the husk to still be alive.  However the sound that echoed without told him that it was worth trying, if they could find a way in that was.

It was strange to be working with an Outlander.  She was Adela from the looks of it, not that he would hold it against her in this moment.  Only would time would tell however.

Iharu shook his head.  "Not in any magical sense," he said with a frown.  "I know some techniques that could aid in the healing of wounds.  If that will help.  First let's get this creature out intact, yes?"  He gave a grunt, perhaps preferring to leave the person behind altogether.  Although he had to question whether or not even he was that cruel.

"Let's start on the left," he muttered, and immediately went to work, looking where the rubble was sturdier and moving away the parts that were easily parted, and would keep the structure from caving in on them all.  Long minutes past, and Iharu kept himself focused as they dug in, dust and debris still drifting down on them occasionally. 

"Whoever you are," he called out when they were several feet into the ash and mortar.  "Are you still alive down there?"  It was worth a shot.




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Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Rhindeer

There were a few seconds of silence, and Khaiya held her breath. Oh, please don't tell her the person had died in the time it had taken them to dig.

But a heartbeat later, and she let her breath out in relief when a small voice, a boy's voice, answered, "D-da...?"

Oh, no...

"No, honey," Khaiya said, as she carefully continued to dig, feeling her chest tighten. A child, then. One who had no doubt lost everything. "Just keep talking, okay? We're going to help you."

"I want my dad," came the little voice again, hitching on a sob. And after a few more long, excruciating minutes, the way ahead of them opened up to reveal a precarious pocket and a young, dirty boy cowering in the dark, bruised and bloodied--his blood or others, she couldn't tell--but very much alive. He looked up at them with large, shadowed eyes and then whimpered and shuffled backwards, curling up even tighter to make himself smaller.

Khaiya frowned over at Iharu, then looked back to the boy and held out a gloved hand. "It's okay, child. We're here to help you. It's safe now. Why don't you come on out?"

But the boy only shook his head fiercely.

And around them, the rubble creaked ominously.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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