Felinis: in a weird way I have been both busy and not.
Dahngrest in mourning was a sad thing. The city was somber and empty as Raven sat in a back alley. He's drunk and broken as he stumbles around. He's gone. The Don was really gone and here Raven was left alone. Yeager… He'd kill that man! Raven gripped at his chest heaving in anger and loss.
All the things the Don had left him to deal with… Raven didn't feel like he was exactly up to that sort of challenge. He already has his hands full with other shit. He got a recent letter from one of the other spies… He has to follow it, but with Alexei's recent actions… Raven had promised he'd keep an eye out on Hanna's kid because she was a good woman.
Because she didn't deserve what she got. Her kid didn't deserve to pay for old sin.
But, Raven couldn't rescue him from the clutches of the empire. He couldn't save the Don. One of the few true friends he'd had. He cries, and he lets himself cry more. Then more. Till he doesn't have tears or anything left. He's raw and cold. The others will have been making their plans by now. If Judith was in trouble they'd need to find her. The girl seemed to know what was going on with at least a few things. Harry will be fine… Better be. Otherwise, that's two people he's failed.
Who is Raven kidding… he's already failed one in the mirror. He sits there with nowhere to go and nothing to feel. Not like he had a home to run to. Raven spent so much time running around traveling that he never bothered with a house in Dahngrest. Most he ever stuck around was usually a week. Once he had spent almost a month. Raven thinks that, yeah, maybe more booze is in order even if he's already piss drunk. He thinks of the words of a woman who is most certainly pissed at him from beyond the grave. Thinks of death… Raven doesn't get to die.
Lost that privilege a long time ago.
He belongs to Alexei and for that reason he needs to follow his orders. The Don's gonna have die for nothing at this rate. It was simple what Raven needed to do.
Judith slapped the gauze on her arms and swallowed a gel for good measure. Damn those Hunting Blades! She'd kill them next time they came after Ba'ul. She pressed against the ruined stonework of a once fine house. Ba'ul was just up the mountain path hiding. He'd be safe there. Judith knew these mountains and for that reason, she guarded the entrance to the only path to Ba'ul. Any fucker would have to pass by and Judith would kill them when they did. Of all the times for Ba'ul to evolve now was not a good one. Judith still needed to rescue Yuri.
Yuri... The man was screaming for rescue loud enough for Judith to make out words from Mt. Temza. She was going to rescue Yuri from the empire and kill those bastards for what they did to her people. Bloodlust was clouding her thoughts lately. She stands up and glides her hand through the wreckage. An old dusty leather-bound book enters her grasp. Her fingers nimbly roll on the page for the one sentence she grasps in this whole tome.
For my dearest daughter.
Why? Why did her father write such a book? She's tried many times to understand the words, but the code is too cryptic for her. She shuts it and hides it away. This mess is too much for her right now. But, Judith can't turn away. Not when people are suffering or when Ba'ul needs her.
They had wanted to charge in and face off against the Knights to save Yuri. Wanted, but couldn't do. Judith's injury was more severe than first thought and she'd spent a good week forced to camp away treating herself. Ba'ul 's eyes had watched her mournfully as Judith did her best treat the wound. It was natural that Ba'ul could only watch. He didn't have hands or dexterity to help her. When the wound had almost finished healing the Hunting Blades showed up and they were forced to flee again. They had a good few days before they were running again. They kept getting chased further and further. Judith's supplies diminished rapidly as she spent them on Ba'ul.
Then Ba'ul had said he needed to evolve. Would need to rest. So now they were hiding. Desperately hoping nothing else would muck things up. She was almost pissed at Ba'ul for doing something that came naturally. He'd simply eaten too much aer healing himself. She was tired. Three days without sleep was getting to her. Judith should shut her eyes. She should.
But she can't. It's too dangerous for that. If anything happened... A voice of reason said an hour was all she'd need. That it would keep her in better straights. Ba'ul. Judith couldn't leave Ba'ul. Couldn't let her dearest friend get hurt. Thirty minutes. She could do that. Just shut her eyes long enough to get a quick refresh.
Phaeroh had been right. Killing Estelle would have been the wiser choice. Judith should have listened to his words on the matter. Estelle no matter how kind was a blight and she understood now. There was no way Judith could let her live. Not now.
"Do we really have to cross continent again? Yuri won't be in Nordopolica anymore. We'll waste time like this." Rita says trying to decipher how one could fix Yuri. It's the only thing she can do right now. She's not up for mourning or sitting. Estelle is doing better than Rita thought. The girl hasn't cried once but Karol sobbed away like a baby. It's all going to shit.
"We don't have a choice. Judith is the only one who can track Yuri down." Estelle says on the bed her legs jittery with exhaustion. "We have no way of tracking the Heracles ourselves."
"She's a traitor! Not to mention an enemy of blastia." Rita couldn't forgive Judith for destroying those blastia. Couldn't forgive the empire for turning a race into cores. She'd been part of that research team. Her job was constructing a more efficient formula so that the structure of the cores would be stable. She hadn't known the specifics of her materials, but she knew the math. Rita had happily assisted a group committing mass genocide. The idea singed her blood.
Karol clasped at the blanket. "What choice do we have? We need everyone." His hand runs circles in the fabric. "Besides, she's not a bad person. I'm sure she wants to save him just as much as we do."
That didn't change what Judith had done. Or that Judith had threatened to kill Estelle. Rita wasn't going to let the Krytian just get away with what she'd done. But, Rita also understood the urgency. "Nordopolica is probably under lock right now. Mt. Temza is north the Sands of Kogorh which means we'd have to park there."
Patty shook her hand and rolled out a map. "Not necessarily. While there are no sea routes to Mantaic there is a way ta access the desert directly." She points to a small alcove shore and draws out a route. "It'll take a little longer since we'll have to circumvent the continent, but it means we won't get stopped by the knights. More importantly, Flynn. He seemed adamant about catching ya, Estelle. Best be wary about him for now."
"But, I'm sure if we explained what's going on-"
"Ya really think he'll sit back and listen while a prized tuna flops on his deck?" Estelle quiets. "It'll be a two-week trip at the least. We'll need extra supplies just in case. Not ta mention we're down two fighters so let's be extra careful on the roads." She circles too large areas of desert. "We'll be going avoid these areas since they're dense with the beasts. Plus, there's no oasis. Since we won't have access to one we definitely need extra water. With all that in mind Temza is about a four-day walk. This won't be a quick hop-step-and a jump. We're talking almost a month."
Karol rolled up the map and stuffed it away. "It's the only plan we've got. The Heracles could be anywhere now. We need to focus on finding someone who can help us find Yuri and get us answers."
It is their best option and that's the worst part of it all. Rita's a genius and she's practically useless right now. She can't come up with a better plan or help make the ship go faster. Or anything. They only had to hope that Yuri was alright and that they'd be able to stop the empire's plan.
Judith figured they were safe for now. The Hunting Blades had slowed down their chase. For once Judith had managed to relax she figured it was because she had gouged out high member's eye with her spear. That earned her a break, right?
Judith, are you all right? You're hot. Are you sick?
No. She was fine. "Just my body telling me to rest. I'll be fine." Judith's body shivered she cursed the inlaid defense to fall into a state of weakness during stressful times. A technique great in a race of mostly pacifist that traveled in groups. It was designed to keep members of the community from hiding problems and create dependency in one another. Judith had never been like the rest. She was an outsider and would prefer dealing with problems on her own. Biology seemed to hate the idea of letting Judith have that pleasure.
Judith would trick her body all the same. She curled next to Ba'ul's feathered body. Some had started to molt away as his body started to craft the resources needed to evolve. She stroked her antennas did her best to simulate comfort. Ba'ul crooned doing his best to make her feel safe. They weren't safe, but that wasn't the point. This was a grand trick. Judith is already feeling a little better. But, the real key to fooling the body was the make it think that another Krytian was caring for her.
Ba'ul's sweet song for her help, but it did little to ease the edge. She was also hungry. Her supplies were down to almost nothing. There's no way she could hunt in this state. Not like Ba'ul could hunt for her. For not the first time in Judith's life, she wished she was an Entelexeia like her dear partner. All she had to do is get better in a few days.
"What's wrong with the subject this time?" Alexei grumbles as he follows down the hall one of his head researchers.
"It appears his body has entered a state of distress. He's running a high-grade fever and has entered a state of delirium. Keeps muttering Geraios. Nothing comprehensive. Just gibberish."
"How bothersome."
"We believe that his body is trying to negate the medication and send out a distress signal. We've noticed the retrogrades acted up after the fever began. Either way, it'll be bad if we let his body get worse. Brain damage could occur and that's not what we need right now."
"Wait a few days." One of the subjects rammed against the cage to none's surprise. "If he doesn't feel better change the medication. Maybe something that will stop hormone production altogether."
"With all due respect, that will likely kill the subject in a few days."
"But, it will stall the transformation. I'm not asking for continuous use. If we make sure he's on heavy life support and that the dosage is light, he will survive. Though this is unusual."
"Indeed. While Krytia do fall into illness when stressed none of the subjects ever reached that point. Perhaps it's because we process them so quickly?"
"A possibility. What about that Scifo boy? Still causing trouble?"
"Yes. He claims that after three weeks he should see his friend. We caught him trying to sneak into the medical wing. Apparently, he's proficient in lock picking."
"Arrange a meeting. Make sure he's beyond delirious. Scifo is a skilled knight and I'd hate to lose him over something like this." On a medical bed tied down was Yuri Lowell. Running a fever and panting grievously for relief. Like this Alexei doubted the thing could do much. Yes, this would do fine. "As for the capital?"
"We've begun preparation." Excellent.
Raven set down a bowl in front of Rita. "What's eatin you?"
The mage slammed the book in her hands shut. They had set off from Nordopolica three days ago the morning after the Don's wake. She's been held up in her room on her own since they set off. There was nothing more for her to do other than work on her theories. "The fuck do you want old man?"
Raven sat on a dirty chair and crossed his arms. "Ya need to relax kid. Take a break. You've done enough for now."
"I can do more." Rita tossed the book and kicked her desk. But, she really hasn't. She doesn't even know what to do. Where does she start? An entire race is being exploited by an evil organization and she has no clue how to stop it. Or how to fix it. Rita only knows blastia. She's a master with one skill and that skill won't do much. Not now
"I think ya would do more outside this room than just sittin around yelling at beakers." She ignores him and gets ready to run Raven out. "Estelle seems like she could use ya."
"On what?" A new formula or just whatever. Rita can't think what much else.
"She really needs her friend right now."
Rita fumbles her beaker. "Excuse me?"
"Ya heard me." Raven yawns. "Estelle's been through a lot lately. She's probably the most tired of all of us. She's lost three friends in the past few days."
"It's not like they're dead."
"They could soon be." Yeah, they could. Rita knows there's a chance that Yuri and Judith would be dead before they could reunite. Worse the idea that someone Estelle trusts was tricked and is now lying dead in a ditch somewhere. "I'm not gonna pretend I get why the princess likes you, but she does. She needs a friend."
Rita sets down her work. She slowly bites into dinner and tears bread from a small loaf. "I wouldn't know what to do."
"Do what you always do. Hell, let her watch her ya work or some shit." He leaves silently. Rita eats in contemplation over what the best course of action is. She sets aside her food and goes into the cabin where Estelle sits curled up on the bed. She's so weak. So sad.
Rita slides next to her hand tries to think of what to do. She takes Estelle's hand because that's one of the few ways Rita knows how to comfort. Estelle won't cry. Rita can't tell if that is a sign of how strong she is or if Estelle is at the point of being numb. The princess does give her a smile. The kind Rita pities because those people deserve it. Estelle should never be pitied.
"We'll fix this."
Estelle pulls her into a hug and cries into Rita's chest. It's disgusting with all the snot and tears. Rita pulls Estelle tighter. Rita was a genius she'd figure this out. Just a matter of time. At least, that was what she hoped.
"I promise."
Rita has no clue what she's doing, but Estelle seems to be okay with it. "Thank you, Rita."
Felinis:
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