Skimrish with consequence...

Chapter 2

"So this is where host body AP-604-93 is?" An archer muttered, his wizard companion looked at the miniature valley with a bored expression on his face, he still did not understand why he had been dragged out here in what he thought of as the wilds. Aurion could have told him that the world was a Hell of a lot un-tamer five miles away from the Desian camp, but he doubted the wizard would listen. "Funny place for a woman assassin to be hiding."

"She wasn't an assassin, she only shoved that solider off a cliff, if he had been more aware of what was going on rather then drunk out of his mind then you wouldn't be having to do another clean up after this."

These soldiers showed more wisdom then the others he had to deal with, they at least remained quiet. Ropes were tossed down, and the two archers and Aurion climbed down. A rope was offered to the wizard, who turned his nose up to such a mundane method of travel. With no explanation the black garbed warlock walked off the cliff with a few muttered words. As the wizard descended a freak breeze kicked up, and the man was slammed into the rock wall. He hung in the air for a moment, frantically grabbing at the wall, but then dropped to the earth, his spell broken. Any humor that the men could have drawn from the scene was banished by the all pervasive smell of rotting human that wafted up from the valley's floor. When they descended the first sight that greeted them was the dead woman. Her face was partially burned off, her body which should have begun to bloat as was the way of most carrion, was flat. Holes, made by scavengers, riddled the woman's body, a massive gash in her mid section was the work of a wolf that had been by. A wolf that Kratos had spooked of with his fire spell when he prepped the scene earlier. The woman's face and arm which held her code number, were seared off with his own spell. And if any thought to accuse him, and could link him to this place, he would claim it was a miss-fire. A few feet away the wizard was rubbing his behind, seeing Aurion's glare on him he stopped and returned the favor. It wasn't all out disrespect, there was little grounds to justify another murder, so he let it slide.

The younger of the archers took one look at the woman, went green, then bolted. As the elder archer called out, and made move to follow, Aurion ordered him to stay. They would tend to this, burn what pieces the wolf had left, at least that's what he planed. Much to his disgust the wizard picked up what was clothing and riffled through the pockets. He drew out a exsphere and a small wooden ring, and his thorough looting made Aurion grateful that he'd taken the pains to plant those items on the woman.

"Look here boys, looks like we don't owe all that money after all, one hundred gald off the bill!" The Archer smiled and Aurion fought to keep his face expressionless. He had nothing against looting, nothing against hatred, and nothing against murder, but the shear disrespect that the Desian gave to the fallen, even pausing to spit in her half melted face, made something in Aurion stir. Anger, and that of a dangerous breed for it was attached to the morals that he dared not exercise. He tried to draw comfort in the promises that had been made, tried and failed. The sense of anger lingered much like the stench of death would cling to him for hours after he was gone from this place. "Shame she's not alive, we could have had some sport of her before she died." At that comment Aurion's hand gripped the hilt of his weapon, his hand went white and he began to loose feeling in his fingers as more barbs and jokes of the lustier type were being made over the dead woman. If it had been Anna that they spoke of he'd have drawn his blade, killed them all. It wasn't Ana though, it wasn't his love, that allowed him to release his sword, that alone kept him from spilling more half elven blood.

"If your done lusting after this carrion may we leave?" Aurion snarled, their comments made his sick. How anyone could even think of love making while the stench of rot and wolf piss was so thick in the air was a mystery to him. But then maybe it wasn't love making to them, maybe rape was another outlet of their rage, their blind rage that consumed them. It was at times like this he knew that Mithos was a damned fool, that hate fed into hate until nothing else remained but ash coated earth. "Or would you rather have orgasm over a dead thing that doesn't even have all it's innards?" Indeed the corpse wore it's insides like clothing, at least if one thought in the poetic mind set she did. The wolves had been startled at his appearance, and smelling the fire that he wielded they had fled, dropping half eaten intestine from their mouths and bolting to the winds. Shrugging the Desian's walked around the body, then after a brief conference in elvish decided burning the woman was the best course. When the first words of the fire spell were uttered Aurion walked away, and though he did not watch he could see in his minds eye, first highlighted by the fire, then embraced, and at last consumed, the once living woman would be little more then ashes. He walked as far as the chasm would allow, his back to the Desians, his hand clenching his sword. Feet crunched gravel behind him, and a timid voice spoke to him.

"My lord, the task is done."

"Good, take yourselves back to the Ranch and remain there. Quell the rest of the rebels, don't murder them, we need those exspheres." He forced his hand to release the hilt of his long sword. "Torture them as much as you deem appropriate, I'll be back in a few days..." Their was a screech, a mecanical one, and though he didn't turn around he could imagine how the Desians must have started. Their was the sound of fumbling, of something being pulled from someone's belt, and a small click, that told him a button was being pressed.

"Hello, this is scouting unit green reporting full destruction of escapee's corpse and exsphere harvesting completion. Yes, Sir, noted Sir." There was another click and the device was put back on the solider's belt. "We have received a transmition from Lord Yggdrasil, any parties who have encountered Sir Aurion are to escort him back to the Ranch, Lord Yggdrasil wishes to speak to Sir Aurion immediately." A hand fell on his shoulder, it took all of Aurion's effort not to jump. "Sir, with all due respect we don't dare countermand that order. If you try to flee we have ben ordered to shoot, not to kill but to cripple, but accidents do happen."

"I understand," Aurion had been expecting this, had been expecting this ever since he had reported the failures in the mana reactors.

"We need to take your sword Sir..." Aurion tossed the archer his blade. A crossbow was pressed against his back and he was searched. Knives were pulled from each of his boots, an enchanted ring was taken from his left hand, and a spell of placed on him to keep him from manipulating his mana into a spell. They at least allowed him to walk on his own, they didn't truss him up like wild game and carry him back to the ranch. He passed through the yard in which the other human's did meaningless heavy labor, a friend of Anna's dared to look up at him as he passed. The whipper who was overseeing the tasks snarled, drew his weapon, and gave her a blow that knocked her down to her knees. Human suffering was part of the scent of the yard, and it was with a mix of relief and guilt when his captor's took him into the steal sheathed interior of the Ranch.

"Damn shame, she's a good looking wench." The elder archer grumbled once they were safely in the building. "She wont be good lookin' after Kein is done with her."

"Kein?" Kratos ' response made his guard hop, obviously he wasn't' supposed to talk. Had he been anyone else he could have expected a beating. As it was his captors didn't know what to do with him. He was above thier rank, they had all heard of him talking to Lord Yggdrasil before this and comming back alive. So they were hesitant to dole out any punishment.

"Kein, head desipleanary officer, came in after the last one got executed for going to far in a lesson , he killed too many of them, made us exeed the quota and we almost had a war on our hands with Iselia."

"Stuborn little bastards I'd love to..." the wizard began to grumble.

"Hey, shut up Aiuk. We'd all love too, and we can't, so shut the Hell up before you stirr up the youngling and he goes on a vulking human hunt!"

The youngest of his captors looked like he was regreting his decision in joining the Desians, and that a human hunt was the farthest thing from his mind.

Aurion was escorted to the lavish throne room of the absent Ranch-Master Forcystus, and a sword was placed to his throat. Getting the hint Aurion knelt to the pale blue disk, and the elder archer left the group to press a button at the devices' base. There was a flash of light, and the image of a blond haired man in his late twenties appeared before them. Their was a hint of translucency about the white robed man, and a hint of other-worldlyness that had nothing to do with the multi colored wings that ran the length of his back.

"I want a very detailed explaination for you failure Kratos." Though the voice was soft, with a hint of static to it, there was no mistaking the regal arogence that defined the man before him. Absent was the gesture of the hand that pulled the rouge strand golden blond hair out of those crystal blue eyes.

"All this was to serve you Lord Yggdrazil, as was it to amend the errors of Forcystus." Kratos unlike all the isuperior/i beings, was looking his comander in the eyes, and not studying the red carpet floor. "Forcystus was stupid enough to tell some of the humans of what he was to become, and he told them of the process. My actions forced the rebelious humans to act, the ones with spirit, and now that they are gone we no longer need to fear a deadly informaion leak."

"Your methods do not please me Kratos, you should have a the very least infomed me to why you were going to make these riots ocur. Forystus will be punished for his lapse, as to yours..."

"You knew the moment we met that my methods were not open to discussion. Not you, not even your sister, have the right to question me for my methods. You of all people have lost the right to protest over such a small deception." To this Mithos flinched, as Kratos knew he would. There was a long pause where Mithos struggled to contain his anger and frustration. All because he knew Kratos was right, and part of Mithos' deal with Kratos had been that he was to have a free leash when dealing with a situation. Kratos was no man's slave, and if that ever changed Mithos' life would turn to pure Hell. For Kratos held in him the key to ruin all his millennia's of scheming.

"You've certainly gotten bold, part of me wonders why this is..." Mithos stared off into space then shook his head. "It doesn't matter, your actions reaped us much, so I will let it slide for now. But Kratos..."

He expected the human to reply and Kratos humored him. "Yes?"

"If you ever do something like this again, ever, you will be punished. And that punishment will not be lite."

"Understood my Lord."

There was a tense moment where Mithos stared at him, as if trying to see some threat in that mild sounding reply, some hidden sarcasm. Then the image flicker like a candle flame exposed to a harsh wind, then it went out. His captors took a few steps back, and eyed him wearily, they all expected to die for their actions. The next words out of Kratos' mouth must have surprised them then.

"You boy, fech what was taken from me, wizard you are being transferred to a different ranch, now leave and clear it with your guild, and you..." His eyes slid on the whipper, the man swallowed. "execute Kein, then take his place." The elder archer looked helplessly at the door then finally left after Kratos ordered him to do so. He didn't care what the Desian did, so long as it was not here in his presence. Alone, he cut the power to the communication disk to be absolutely sure, Kratos wiped the sweat from his brow. Since all he could do now was pray, he did so in his heart, he prayed that Anna had gotten far away from here.