Displaced

The sun was beginning to set as Arthen and the others continued north. The surroundings changed from dirt and field to lush forest again.

Innes groaned. "How much further is it?"

"Not long, I don't think." Arthen told him. "It shouldn't be longer than it was from the terminal to the research camp."

"Yeah right." The red head exhaled.

Tina stopped. "Oh, look. There's a village up ahead."

Arthen nodded. "Looks like it. We must be close, although it wouldn't hurt to rest or stop for the night. It'll be dark soon anyway."

"Innes would appreciate it, I'm sure." Tina laughed.

"Please!" The mage begged.

The knight laughed. "Alright then."

The three headed up the path to a large wooden gate. The guards standing outside eyed them for a moment, but said nothing.

It was a small village, made of tents and some makeshift homes as they were construction in progress.

The residents here were usual asmodians, shugos, and the Reians of Balaurea. However, there were also kobolds and scurves here.

Kobolds were another race of creatures that lived in Atreia. They looked like tiny humans, almost like hairless monkeys who grew no higher than the waist level of an average asmodian. Scurves were just as small, but they better resembled gophers or hamsters with scaley bird feet. Though they lived all over Atreia, it was unusual to see them in a place like this.

"It looks like they just started building this place." Tina noted.

Arthen nooded. "With this number of guards around, I'm pretty certain this is an Asmodian stronghold against the Balaur that are further to the north."

"Something like that, but not quite." A brown haired woman with brown eyes, clad in light armor approached the three from behind them.

"Oh. Hello." Arthen turned.

The girl smiled. "Are you travelers, here?"

The knight nodded. "Yes. We were hoping to stay here and rest a bit, if you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all!" She exclaimed. "You can stay as long as you like."

Innes sighed with relief. "That's great."

"So..." Tina started. "What is this place then?"

She smiled. "This is the Rhonnam refugee village. Most of the sapiens that are here now used to live further north until the Tiamat and his Balaur pushed them out and destroyed their homes."

"Oh." Tina frowned.

The girl's smile faded. "This place isn't much yet, but it's being rebuilt slowly. Things are hard for them, but keeping them busy with labor and the festivals makes it easier for them."

"Wait." Arthen paused. "Festivals?"

The girl laughed. "Yes! Every month, we have a festival here and everyone gets to have fun. It gives something for everyone to look forward to apart from working and fighting."

"That does sound like fun." Tina added.

"Yes." She told her. "So are you all just passing through?"

Arthen nodded. "We actually came to this area with a few errands to sabotage some Balaur efforts in the Nunglark territory."

"That's good news." She told him. "If there is anything you need, please let any of us know." She paused. "Oh, and my name is Sophie!" She blushed. "I almost forgot."

Arthen smiled. "My name is Arthen, and with me is Tina and Innes. We'll probably be staying for just a night though if things run well."

Sophie smiled. "Please feel free to stay longer if you need to."

"Thank you," Tina told her.

She just smiled.

The sun was setting and the sky was only getting darker as the night set in.

The three made their stay within the village comfortably and safely.

Though as Arthen closed his eyes to sleep, something didn't feel right. He wondered for a moment why but ended up only pushing it from his mind as he fell into a restless slumber.

Something didn't feel right.

Vince felt his eyelids grow heavy as he waited patiently for his mark to arrive.

He waited at Black Cloud island in the abyss, the headquarters for shugo traders from all over Atreia where goods were shipped back and forth from Asmodae to Elysea and even Balaurea. Between Elyos, Asmodians, and Balaur alike.

Vince watched as the shugos carried boxes back and forth onto ships or placing them in storage. He also fought not to stare at their body guards, giant mountain trolls with clubs and swords. He'd hate to get on their bad side.

He wondered if it were night or day still. The abyssal sky was always dark. The ground remained lit only by a nearby star. He started to gaze off into space again when he caught a glimpse of white wings.

The scout immediately jumped to his feet and hid himself out of sight.

It was an Elyos. Several of them stopping on the island to rest.

Vince instantly recognized one of him as his mark. His eyes widened.

Her hair was long and blonde like in the picture and she was plated in armor fused with balaur flesh. She carried with her on her back a nasty looking polearm as well.

Vince stared for a moment before she looked his way and felt her jade eyes penetrating through him. Startled, he pulled back completely out of sight. How the heck am I supposed to pull this one off?

The scout listened carefully to the Elyos chattering back and forth in their language, trying to make out the words. They were definitely here to plan a small scale assault on the dredgion docked nearby for repairs and he knew he would have to follow behind them. He started thinking that it wasn't such a good idea at this point.

"Qit'b lo!" The general shouted something in Elysean and the troupe extended brilliant white wings and took off again.

Vince waited a moment and swallowed hard before leaving after them.

He remained out of sight as best as he could and tried to remain above them out of their line of sight. Thankfully, his darker skin and black wings proved to be good camouflage against the dark sky. He continued after them carefully.

Eventually they came upon the Dredgion, a tremendous balic bioship. The docks were open and the lights were dimmed as repairs were being done someplace within.

Vince waited a moment after the Elyos dropped into an open dock before he followed after them. Once inside, chills ran down his spine after feeling the fleshy pink interior that was beneath his feet and all over the walls. He continued on wearily. His job was to catch the general unawares or injured before he could make his move, but he also anticipated the danger if he were to fail.

They were both very far from their soul binding points. This meant that death meant death.

Vince felt the hum of power and machinery start to dissipate. This was the Elyos' doing as they took out the ship's power centers. The scout stood in one of the rooms where a damaged surkanate power core was at its center. It was in pieces.

The scout frowned when he saw that the next hallway in the ship split into two separate passageways. He couldn't stay here alone and he couldn't lose them either. He waited until he heard the next power core short circuit before darting off the path ahead of him. He was sure it came from that direction.

"You! How the hell did you get in here?"

Vince froze when he realized that a Balaur was fast approaching from behind him.

The drakan swung his scimitar wildly at the assassin.

Vince breathed a curse and dodged out of the way of the blade so that he was only brazed by its edge on his arm. The pain stung wildly. Poison...

Before the Balaur swung again or alerted anyone else, the scout dashed behind him and ran his own blade along his neck and dropped him limp on the floor.

He sighed. Of course they'd know that we're here. I need to find my mark..

Vince hurried on ahead until he saw yet another Balaur checking out the scene. There were two of them this time. The scout pulled back out of sight and watched them for a moment until they followed after the trail of the Elyos ahead of them. Vince took this chance to follow carefully behind them as well.

Finally, his mark and her soldiers were finally in sight and already engaged in fighting with several drakan.

Vince waited silently for his chance to strike.

Atira swung her polearm swiftly and easily at the enemies as though it weighed nothing at all.

The other Elyos fought behind her to keep the increasing number of enemies at bay. They shouted to one another in their own Elysean tongue.

"You conniving wench! Let me rip off that ugly face of yours!" One of the Balaur taunted her as he swung wildly at her face.

She hissed at the contact and the side of her face bled. She swung back and knocked the enemy to the ground and pierced him through.

Vince watched carefully until she looked up and their eyes met again. Both hers and his eyes widened.

The general shouted something unintelligible in their language, but no one came to aid her. She turned to see that her soldiers were completely in holding by the enemy Balaur. Her skin ran pale.

Vince watched the scene carefully. Now was his chance, he couldn't hesitate. He could kill her now and make a run for it. He readied his blade for the kill when his arm felt shattered with pain again. He breathed a curse and remembered the poison. When he readied his knife again after studying her backside more closely now, he rushed out for the kill.

Immediately, something from behind him took hold of his arm and yanked him back. The realization was instant that he had been apprehended by the Balaur as well. A tall dragonoid Balaur had him in its grasp and he was completely unable to move. He swore to himself outloud.

A balaur general approached Atira from the other side. He was much more humanoid than the other Balaur here and his skin was a slick pale blue rather than thick dragon scales but his face was indeedibly reptilian. He smiled slyly at the woman. "You thought that you were cunning enough to come all the way out here on your own, didn't you?" He spoke softly in Balic tongue.

She said nothing. She knew that this was certain defeat.

The balaur general laughed. "Such small numbers, I wonder what you take us for?" He encircled the Elyos general until he stood directly before her. "It would be a waste for you to die here, wouldn't you think?"

Atira remained silent. She only stared back at him with a straight cold expression on her face.

The general smiled. "Take her and the others and put them up in cells for now." He paused as his men came swiftly to take hold of the blonde.

She resisted at first but remembered that there was no use in fighting now.

"Oh," The general continued. "And don't forget that little annoying Asmodian rat as well. He's done his share of sneaking around this place as well."

Vince growled.

The general only smiled as the Elyos and Vince were taken away to the holding chamber.

The prisoners were handled roughly and stripped of their armor and weapons. Afterwards, they were shoved into clear plasmic capsules against the wall and were sealed shut within.

Like the others, Vince could only comply for now. He was thankful that his life was still his own and began to plot his escape. He knew that Atira was probably doing likewise.

After they were all imprisoned, only a few Balaur remained to stand guard.

Vince exhaled. How the heck did I get myself into this one...