[ - Author's Note - ]
Well, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! This will be dropping on the last day of Twenty-Twenty-Two! So let's talk...
I mentioned last time that the chapter length was getting long but yikes this one has hit over twenty six and a half thousand words... And this will push the fic over eight hundred thousand words... Between a rather large fight scene and much Miria flashbacks I think it was words well spent. But yes, much fighting... And one of the most chaotic I've written to date... Whew...
But yes, much fighting. And much flashbacks. Do enjoy.
[ - Act II - Chapter XXVII: Chaos in the Ungla'Pul - ]
I spent some times among the Savannah's Catalan Tribes, learning their history, culture and means of life. During my time there I stayed with three of them, the Cent who are the only settled tribe of the lot, the Ur (Not to be confused with the Grand Duchy of the same name) who was the largest of them and the Vill who were a smaller, trading clan. The region was one of the few places not conquered or brought into the Imperium back in it's day. This is for a few reasons; the land while not infertile wasn't proper for large amounts of farming, there were no ores of note and little else in resources. In addition conquering the Catalan tribes was considered more trouble then it was worth.
That isn't to say there weren't Imperium settlements in the region; the Savannah still provided routes for trade and, thus, a need to guard those routes leading to a few, small military outposts. Based on what reports there are initial relations with the Catalans were mixed and semi-hostile at first until some tribes began to trade with the newcomers and even hire themselves out as mercenaries. Indeed, Catalan scouts were well prized in the Imperium; at least until the rise of Viturin Kaiser as Emperor, and they were well paid.
The First Age of Conflict left the Savannah mostly untouched when it came. Many of the guards in the outposts would leave to fight for one faction or another while their families remained until the age waned and the people left save for a bare few. One thing of note was many of the Catalans were forced out of what would become the Brazen Empire as Gottes Verlangen rose to power, seeing them as 'lesser' for some reason. In fairness such feelings in the upper classes and nobility of the former Imperium States and Imperium Remnant were oddly common, even if the commoners never fully took to it.
Aside from the Cent all of the tribes are nomadic, traveling and hunting prey about their realm and, at times, beyond it's borders. Few outside of the Cent are literate but they've learned the value of trade and working for outsiders; while they're able to forge their own stone and wooden weapons they've learned the value of metal weaponry and tools. Indeed, even basic metal weapons can be passed down as heirlooms within tribal families and those with the most basic enchantments are highly prized.
That said one must always be wary when visiting, women in particular as the tribes don't have a concept of 'rape' nor a taboo against it. Indeed, if you can wrestle someone down and fuck them you're allowed to do so on the Savannah. Sure, revenge from that person or their tribe is always possible (Depending on the tribe) but much of the time the reaction of a Catalan being told 'I had someone force sex upon me' is a shrug and a reply of 'was it at least good?' from whoever listened to you. And while I say 'women in particular' do know men are not immune.
I should know; I was caught by a tribe called the Nym and 'used' for about a week by at least half the women there... of a tribe of nothing but women. They were at least kind enough to show me where I wanted to go and clean my clothing when it was over.
It was... not as enjoyable as one might have hoped.
~Dominic James Pencraft, Sererus: A Collection of History and Powers
[-]
The rest of the day that we arrived at the Ungla'pul we divided our time between setting up camp, checking our weapons and talking what tactics we would employ. On the last one we came to a general idea on how to proceed; Miria would focus on tracking the target and taking it down. Cress would be her main assistant in this regard; helping with killing the prey as well as acting as a second set of eyes while in addition if the Nym or Kull were to attack they could bodyguard each other. Aeris would be in the air; both to watch for signs of the prey but to also track the tribes movements and warn us if they were nearing too close while Riri focused on a tight patrol. Finally my role would be to keep everyone coordinated, act as another set of eyes and a first line of defense if we were attacked. Of course Cress then asked a good question.
"Should we all have tracking spells on us, then? Just in case something goes wrong and our voxluxs get taken?"
It was a good point. The classic Tracking spell was put to good use a few times before and while I couldn't put it on someone, directly at least, there were some indirect means; this case the option was a set of cleaned off, tiny pebbles to set the spells onto that could be swallowed without causing problems, ahhh, on the way out... I also taught the spell to Aeris for the sake of redundancy. The idea of swallowing small pebbles was not appealing, but it shouldn't cause harm. After all, birds did it all the time.
Additionally I used Levitation inside my tent in an effort to get it to level three at least... And I did... Only for something new to happen...
(-)
[Levitation: Level III, Complete!]
Levitation Spell Upgrade Unlocked!
You may now choose an upgrade to your current spell. In addition you can level this spell further, up to Level V!
Choose Spell Upgrade!
[Hover: You can upgrade your Levitation spell 's ability to hover, greatly reducing it's mana cost and increasing aerial stability.]
[Flight: You can upgrade your Levitation spell's aerial and turning speed greatly, without increasing the mana cost.]
(-)
Huh... Well, that's unexpected... The one issue I had, when presented with the option was... I had good usages for both! [Olivia if I choose one am I ever able to grab the other upgrade?]
[You can only choose one currently. However this will allow you to increase this spell's level cap to five. Once it's at level five you can take the other upgrade.]
Perfect... I selected Flight for now as I felt it would have more immediate benefit while Hover would be more of a boon to my 'I can't do much with it yet' project. Once done I looked it over in my spell list.
(-)
Levitation [Lvl III] [Toggle] (5/3000)
Magic Type: Arcane
Cool Down: None
Mana Cost: Moderate
A toggle spell that allows a user to hover over the ground and into the air.
-Upgrade – Flight: You've increased your flight speed to much higher levels without increasing the mana cost.
(-)
With that done I took sometime to browse the traits available to me but I didn't buy anything yet; I think it was better to hang onto them for the time being, at least until I found something truly useful. It was when I decided to look at the traits I currently had that I found something... off however.
(-)
T#4 Ᵽ07 ^ 0* 90*
5 ^2 # 0*& 9 4 3 44 08#$ $ ! &*5&%$ #9 5 76 Ᵽ&6 #$ ! $ #*07 $# # Ᵽ0$*
(-)
Umm... okay... [Olivia? What happened?]
[Attempting to diagnose the issue. Scanning.]
[Scanning.]
[Scanning.]
[Scanning.]
[Scan Complete. Trait Data Corrupted.]
[Wait, that's possible!?]
[It should not be. I'm unsure as to the reasons this has happened, nor what it means. I will inform the relevant Administrator about this.]
[This trait has been corrupted for awhile now, sadly. I will contact you once the situation is resolved.]
[Please and thank you.] I let off, unsure of which trait was corrupted. Or when it was corrupted; I'd forgotten a few things along the way I knew and it's bit me in the ass more then once. I just hope the trait wasn't too important...
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
The Great Savannah, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Late Afternoon
"[Papa, where are we going?]" Along the Savannah, under the heated sun and walking on bare soil a small, pink haired Catalan with one yellow eye and one blue eye trotted after the adult before her, clad as she was in a deer skin skirt, vest and sandals. To one side was was soft, green grass stretching out like a sea of leafy blades while taller, golden grass rose on the other side of them. A herd of wild horses grazed on the green as black birds fed on ticks upon them.
While the region bore a similar topography, climate and feel as the African savanna of another world the Savannah did not bear the animals one from that world would think of; there were no lions, nor zebras, nor cheetahs, nor giraffes nor rhinos. Such animals existed but on what was called the Sunkissed continent.
In their place were horses, bulls, panthers, deer, rabbits and jackalopes, the giant grasslands rat, the green-backed raptor, the four horned bison and the most massive of the Savannah's beasts the jacqui; a massive, bear like being that could stand as tall as twenty feet when stood up on it's hind legs yet preferred leaves, grass and berries to flesh. That wasn't to say the jacqui wasn't dangerous if angered or threatened but it was content with leaving well enough alone otherwise.
As long as you weren't between it and berries, of course.
"[I cannot say yet.]" Her father said, firmly and simply as she huffed. She had few reasons to enjoy her life; her grandfather was the only one to show her true love and compassion and, as young as she was, she was mature enough to understand how it harmed his own reputation and caused him a great amount of stress. The next closest thing she had as a caring figure of authority in her life was her father and to call Mir'Mokria 'caring' was a stretch; he was stern and unflinching with her but responsible. He ensured she was clothed, fed, bathed and knew a few basics of life on the Savannah. He may have been a distant father, a painfully distant one, but he took responsibility for her and raised her unlike her mother who ignored her at best and verbally abused her at worst. Whatever else could be said she at least respected her father... Even if 'love' was something she was unsure about in regards to the man half of the time but she did care for the man.
She kept following him about, eyes open and watching. There were many dangerous things on the Savannah ranging from beasts to other tribes and even a child needed to keep their eyes focused and aware of potential troubles. That said why were they out there? To hunt? Her father had weapons with him, yes, but he wasn't seeking tracks or signs of wildlife. To forage? Maybe, but they had no baskets or bags for whatever they would collect. Likewise they had no buckets or water skins to bring back water. To her young mind it was a mystery.
They would reach the bank of a river when he would lift her onto his shoulder and ford across it, walking to the other side of the river with the water reaching his hips in some places of the crossing. Once across he set her back down onto her own two feet. "[We are here.]"
"[Great! ... Why are we here Papa?]" She asked, stepping forwards a few steps before looking back at him. He stayed silent for a long moment, looking at her as his right arm trembled for a moment before calming. Then he finally spoke.
"[The Zon'ka has spoken for the tribe. You are now frak'ka'gul and an exile from the tribe.]" He said with a stern, controlled look.
"[P-papa?]" She let off, gawking at him. "[W-why!?]" She let off, starting to shake as she moved closer to him. "[Why!? I'm not a bad girl I promise!]"
"[It doesn't matter.]" The adult man said with a huff. "[It has been decided. You are an exile and cannot return to the Mir. That is that.]" He said as she lunged to grab his leg, attempting to hug it to her... Only to be pushed back, stumbling and nearly falling over.
"[Papa!]"
"[...That is enough, Miria.]" He said, letting off a long, soft snarl as he looked down and to one sigh, his fist balling before "[None shall change what is done. I leave you to the Spirits. May they grant you mercy... More then I can...]" He said, speaking the last sentence softly as he turned, walking back into the water.
"[P-papa!]" She let off, moving to give chase, but pausing as her feet entered the water; she did not know how to swim and now... Would her father even turn and help if she were to enter the water and fail to cross? If she were to drown? "[Papa!]" She cried out as the man kept walking away. "[Papa! Papa! PAPA! PAPA!]" She repeated as he kept walking. For a moment it seemed he slowed, his shoulders shifting; almost as if pulling into themselves, but he kept going after a brief moment. "[PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! PAPA!]" She kept crying out, even as he walked out of the other side of the river. Only then did he stop and look back to her...
Only to sigh and keep walking.
"[...Papa... What... oh... oh Spirits...]" She let off, shuddering as she fell to her knees, the situation she was in coming to her in full. She was alone without a tribe, without a parent, without a tool or a weapon, a means of starting a fire, of catching prey... She had nothing but her meager skills and the clothes on her back. "[What... What am going to do..?]"
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Eostian Section of the Ungla'pul Camp
Miria was the first to rise of her end of the camp, waking not long after the sun rose. She always rose early and, depending on the day, would rise and prepare for schooling, a hunt, an adventuring job or just go back to bed; she was a Catalan after all. Now awake she stepped out of her tent and looked to the sky. The day was clear and with few, small and wispy clouds. The sun overhead was the same as the one she saw at the other side of the lake, the one she was born under, lived under, was abandoned under... And was found under...
She clenched her hands at her sides. There was a good chance that she'd end up fighting her birth father and perhaps be put into a position to kill him... She wasn't sure she was ready to do that... In spite of all that had happened... She still had a level of respect for him, even if saying that level was low was generous and yet... Maybe it was because he seemed off as he did it?
She sighed; or maybe that was just a ten year old memory warped by emotion and distance. In the end it didn't matter; she no longer had a family in the Tribe of Mir.
She had found it in the House of Noxdecus.
[-]
The morning of the hunt came the next sunrise and we were up early, had breakfast and prepared for the contest to come. I patted my rapier at my side as we gathered near the rock in the camp's center, as did the four Catalan tribes. Interestingly a deer had wandered over during the night and stood stock still upon the rock, surrounded by the flames that ringed said stone. Indeed if it wasn't for the fact it blinked now and then and I could see it breathe I would have suspected it was a taxidermied animal. It bore two, large antlers with five points on each one and looked like a strong, healthy beast. Over it's head the Dinn'ur'khan, AKA the Spirit Dove, hovered between it's antlers, staring straight ahead.
Cent'Aka stood off to the side of the rock and in front of the deer, which I presumed was our target, and looked about. Seeing us all gathered the elder began to speak. "I see we are all ready and prepared. The hunt is sure to begin soon..." He spoke firmly. "Remember; no fighting each other for the first hour." He warned as I nodded, as did others about the camp. Miria and Mir'Mokria were glaring at one another but neither made a move. As I looked around I took note of the terrain; we were currently in a clearing with sparse woods to the west, thicker woods to the east and more of the clearing to the north and south. The road we drove on would be at the edges of the south while far enough north was more woods, although of a more moderate thickness.
I focused on the Spirit Dove and even trained my magical senses; if I could pick up on that it might give us another edge; I was sure Aeris was doing much of the same. Finally, after almost ten minutes the dove landed on the deer's antlers and started to, for lack of a better term, melt into the deer as it glowed softly for a long moment before lifting up over the stone it once stood on and then...
It blinked away in a moment. "The Ungla'pul... has begun!" Cent'Aka let off, waving his hand. I shared a look with Aeris and shared a nod before we moved to the northeast with the rest of the gang following suite as the tribes moved off in their own direction. We entered the woods and started on the way through the trees in the direction. After fifteen minutes Miria spoke up.
"It's this way?"
"I felt the magic it used pull it in this direction." I said simple as Aeris gave a brief 'As did I' before I kept speaking. "It went in this direction. Of course it can wander off right away..." Depending on our luck we'd ether wander over it's trail or run into it...That said noticing either was another thing.
"So, you don't where it is exactly?" Riri spoke up this time as I shook my head, Aeris speaking up to explain.
"I don't think it'll be easy to sense it's magic; I imagine this spirit will hide it's magic." She said, tossing her staff towards the ground and stepping onto it and starting to fly on the shaft with her feet, but staying close to us for the moment. "After all teleporting is the only magic it's required to do. It is, for all intents and purposes, just a deer now."
"Well I guess at the end it wasn't going to be easy." Cress said, keeping his bow in hand with Miria doing the same.
"For now all we can do is stick to the plan." I said, giving my elven friend a nod as she started to lift up and fly over the tree line. "We have an hour to hunt without interruption; let's make good use of it."
[-]
We crossed a small, shallow creek and spotted a deer along the way. We got excited for a moment until we noted it was a three point buck; not our prey. That said with a little help from Aeris we were able to catch it for a moment and set an Illusion spell on it to make it appear to be the target and sent it off southwest; it would act as a good distraction if the other tribes came across it.
As we made our way along we kept spaced out just a bit; Miria taking point with Cress staying between eight and ten feet from her; behind and to her side. I followed them some twelve feet back, eyes and ears open. Riri was above us, moving from tree to tree and keeping watch out for any opponents.. Aeris was further above her, patrolling overhead and circling about to watch for anything of interest as she started to circle outwards. Deep into the first hour she reported in; she spotted the Mir moving to our east. It seems like they were following a trail to the northeast but only three were accounted for; none of which were Miria's birth father. My guess was they found crossing trails or tracks and decided to divide and conquer. That was risky; they'd be outnumbered if they found another tribe that didn't split up as well but it also let them cover much more ground.
As the old quote went 'It's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em.'
[-]
Elsewhere on the Grounds of the Ungla'pul
"[Mmm...]" Mir'Mokria let off as he knelt down and looked over the prints in the ground. "[Indeed, these are fresh. And the right size for the animal we hunt. It is difficult to say if this is the right one; deer seems to be more common to this land then the Savannah.]" He said looking to the side to his hunting partner; Mir'Honka a man in his early thirties who bore cropped, deep blue hair and red eyes. Standing at five foot eleven he held a hand axe in each hand and wore an outfit much like Mir'Mokria's save a cloth loincloth over his pants and sash that ran from his left hip to the right shoulder. Mir'Mokria took a moment to adjust a leather quiver that was on his back, full of short javelins as he held a spear with an iron point in his right hand. He used the shaft of his weapon to help him rise to his feet and full height. "[I think we're on the right track.]"
"[Uncle.]" Mir'Honka let off, finally speaking for the first time since they broke away from the others on their team. "[She lives.]"
"[I noticed.]" Mir'Morika said as he started to walk ahead, following the tracks. "[Come. We've not all the time in the world.]"
"[You remember what the Zon'ka said, right?]" Mir'Honka let off as the older man paused his steps. "[So, what will you do about her?]" He didn't flinch as Mir'Morika turned his head to look sternly at him
"[The Spirits spared her. There is no need to do more.]" He turned ahead once more an tapped the butt of his spear to the ground twice before walking off once more. "[Now come. It is the hunt that matters in the here and-]"
"[You have a chance to do as the Zon'ka wis-]"
"[The Spirits have made their choice. Would you refute them?]" Mir'Honka flinched slightly as his uncle kept walking, he himself moving quickly to get to his side and keep pace.
"[Would you refute the Zon'ka?]"
"[What is the will of the Zon'ka next to the will of the Spirits?]"
Mir'Honka had no answer to that... And any answer he might have was lost as a shining, golden glow shone overhead, shining around the area of the Ungla'pul. "[The first hour is over. The real contest is begun.]"
[-]
As the sign that the first hour was up shone overhead we kept creeping along and attempting to track the target along the forest before stumbling over what looked like an old camp; who's I didn't know. It was still set up with old, ratted tents still there with two knocked over and one still (Just) standing, a knocked over pot and other, human made debris about. We paused to look it over and search it but otherwise we couldn't tell what happened here. My guess is the owners went off hunting (Hunting beast or men, who knows) and never returned. I could guess why. I did find something of possible use; a leather bola. The leather straps it was made of was... intact, but I couldn't say more of it. I held onto it regardless; given the situation it could be useful.
We also found fresh, smelly scat... And matching deer tracks of a beast large enough to be our target and Miria had us following them.
"I wonder why the Spirits chose Eostia for this Ungla'pul?" Miria let off softly, eyes watching about as she spoke softly.
"You never talk about them much..." I mused, keeping my voice down a bit as well. I heard the soft groan of a branch as it bore Riri's weight above us.
"What are they, exactly?" Cress asked, looking to her. She sighed a bit and glanced back to me in turn as I shrugged.
"Don't look at me. I've heard theories that the Spirits are the remains of the souls of various dead gods from the Age of Gods but how and why they might have become the Spirits is anyone's guess." Miria sighed as she looked forwards once more.
"Like he said, no one really knows where they came from nor even how many there are." She said, keeping her eyes peeled as she spoke softly. "Each Spirit has a domain. The hunt, fertility, fish, foraging, crafting and more. The Spirits are everywhere and no where and some are said to see into the future, or at least possible futures. They are said to nudge and speak and guide the people in directions to meet others or to find things; although no one knows to what ends. Nor does anyone know if the Spirits are united in their will; it's believed some Spirits favor one tribe, others another and some all or a few. But what we do know is they have a will. They're not strong enough to shift rivers or bring the sky down but they can guide prey away from a tribe or to another, call there rain where it is needed or away, or lead one to meet another; be they enemies or lovers."
"You make them sound fickle." Cress noted as she nodded.
"They can be, or rather some of them can be. Others less so. It's not easy to speak to them and even those who can struggle to understand what they say." She explained before pausing and stiffening in her steps. She followed it with lifting her right hand up, signaling us to be silent before creeping forwards. Cress followed and I behind them before she moved behind a bush. Cress followed her as I moved behind a tree. Riri, I could feel maintained some distance, too much really. I expected she'd close in soon as I looked around the trunk...
And saw the target, head down and eating from a berry bush. It was bent over, side to us. A thick line of trees to one side and for several feet would help box it in just in case of a miss. Miria and Cress both drew their bows and notched an arrow, but only Miria started to draw it slowly as she took aim. She was the one who'd take the shot but Cress was at the ready in case something went wrong. I slowly readied a Magic Missile...
Something was off...
Something was very off... We had the right beast, but my instincts nagged at me that something was wrong...
I looked about. I didn't see anything.
I focused on the tracking spells... Miria and Cress were next to me, exactly where I felt them.
I could feel Aeris loiter in the air; perhaps a mile and change away...
And Riri hadn't moved from her last position...
"Be on your guard..." I hissed out softly. Miria turned her head slightly to give me a look... before her eyes went wide and ended up letting the arrow go, the missile flying off wide of the target... so she could grab Cress by the neck of his outfit and pull him away from the bush as something small went flying past where his neck was. At the same time the spell in my circlet deflected something that nearly impacted me; a small, bone dart... That shined with a liquid of some sort that Detect Toxin pinged on. "Ambush!" I let off as I moved behind the tree.
The prey, of course, started to bolt away... Only to turn as a net dropped before it, just missing as it dashed to the other direction. I took the bola I had out and spun it about, setting a tracking spell on it before throwing it at the deer; the bola hit an antler and wrapped about it; at least I'd know where it was after this. Of course now I had other issues to deal with.
"Tsk. Unlucky..." Looking up I could see one of the Nym (Nym'Loora, a barbarian class girl with short orange hair according to Observe), a blowgun in one hand as she stood on a branch. Another member of the Nym held her own blowgun on a lower branch (Nym'Zin, a warrior class with deep green hair pulled back into a ponytail) as she huffed.
"What do you expect?" Another stepped out from behind a tree, a tall one (Nym'Raka, a brawler) as she adjusted a pair of odd gloves (Caestus, in fact) on her hands made of thick, sturdy looking brown leather with four, heavy looking brass studs over where the knuckles would be. "If it was too easy it wouldn't be fun." Nym'Cli'ta and Nym'Jinta stepped out over a bush the former with a bow notched but not yet drawn and the latter holding a pair of metal knives, spinning them in her hands. Nyms Loora and Zin would hop to the ground as well, the former pulling out a short handled, iron hammer and a leather, hide shield as the latter a sturdy looking wooden club with a pair iron bands wrapped around the end.
The tracking spell told me Riri still hadn't moved. "Where's Riri?" I demanded, glaring at them as I drew my rapier.
"Oh, the small one? No need to fear; she's merely... tied up at the moment." Nym'Cli'ta let off with a giggle.
"Men find that their women being dead is such a turn-off..." Nym'Raka added as the five members of the Nym spread out into a large, half circle; Cli'ta in the middle, Raka and Jinta to her right and Loora and Zin to her left. I used my magic to activate my voxlux as I spoke next.
"You passed up a chance to steal the kill." I said as I looked to their leader who shrugged.
"Well, yes it escaped..." She said with a shrug... As my view shifted with her drawing her bow, getting a close up view. In a very anime style the 'camera' split into five, keeping her in the center and each taking a pose with their weapons as they smirked. "But you and your cute friend won't be so lucky.
_The Lovers of the Savannah_
The Tribe of Nym
My view flashed and returned to normal as Cli'ta fired her arrow at Miria, one I knocked from the air with a Vortex Tunnel which also happened to be aimed at Zin, forcing her to move. Both Cress and Miria waited until my attack ended before firing off their own arrows. Loora moved to bum rush Cress and as much as I wanted to intercept her I had Jinta rushing me with blades in hand. She was the only one of our opponents to not have an advanced class so I was hoping to disable her quickly.
I kept my guard up, noting that Raka was moving to support Jinta. I narrowed my eyes and prepared; I used Physical Burst, Reflex Boost and Adrenaline Rush while preparing a Dragon's Fist... I could see her ready to throw a knife with a grin some twelve feet away; likely to make me deflect or dodge before taking advantage of my reaction. As you might have guessed I was more interested in acting then reacting in that moment and managed to catch her off guard as I rushed her in turn; crossing the distance as her hand was coming down to throw, her eyes widening and grin faltering as I used my weapon's D-Guard to bash her right between the eyes with a hard, loud crack that sent her flying backwards and skidding away; out cold and weapons dropping from her hands.
"You bastard!" Nym'Raka let off, snarling as I ended Physical Burst and slashed at her as she closed in; she dodged around my blade and moved to punch at my left side with a haymaker only for me to bring my glove's shield up to block it. She had her left fist back to punch as I used an Arctic Orb through my foot, making her yelp and stumble on the ice that formed under her as I used Power Punch with my rapier (She was too close in to really use the blade), but even in her unbalance she was able to block with her arm under my wrist before grabbing my gambeson with her other hand, a foot on my chest before falling back and making me yelp as she Monkey Flipped me over her. I had enough time to use Levitation to spin and land on my feet; hitting her with a point black Gale Burst to send her sprawling backwards.
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
The Great Savannah, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Day Twelve After Abandonment
"[No, no, no! Get back here!]" To someone watching the scene must have seemed comical; a small girl who's age hadn't even hit the double digits was running along the Savannah. Running ahead of her, or rather attempting a crawling/hopping hybrid at a very fast pace, was the Giant Savannah Earthworm; a two foot long worm that was as thick around as the girl's arm. They were difficult to find, even harder in this size but this one had risen above the ground and crawled out of the ground; she had seen a stampede rush by earlier and likely that's what drew it out; likely thinking rain had come. Either way she caught it out in the air and gave chase to it.
The ground was too dry and hard to easily dig through leading the worm to have to hop along awkwardly as it tried to escape. She managed to close enough distance as she leapt at it, her weapon in both hands as she tried to stab it; a thick, sharpened stick... That missed it's target as she face planted into the ground.
The worm, realizing it's pursuer was stunned, if for a moment, lifted it's head up and slammed it down, wriggling it about as it tried to dig through the ground and into the earth for safety... Only to have it's back end grabbed and pulled back before it was lifted overhead and slammed down into the ground. She would do this again, again and again until it stopped wriggling in her hands. Panting she fell to her knees and smiled. "[Finally...]" She let off.
Fending for herself had proven to be rather difficult. She spent her first two days starving and unable to find any food at all before she finally lucked out, finding a berry bush on the third. It wasn't enough to truly feed her but a few handfuls of berries was better then nothing. The next three were less good for her; she only found mushrooms and she knew well that some were safe to eat, some would make you sick and some would make you dead and which was which was something she couldn't tell. She was desperate for food but she wasn't that desperate.
She wasn't able to fund much else beside a few, scattered berries here and there and no meat... until now. Carrying her catch to the creek she quickly washed it off and pulled a sharpened stone from her pocket; it was no knife but it would work well enough as she slit the earthworm down the middle. Her grandfather talked about these creatures; you had to pull it's guts out and clean it a second time but you could eat them, raw even. Which was good; she had no means of starting a fire still... She had searched for flint stones but had no luck...
She cleaned her catch as quick as she could and used her stone to hack off pieces to make eating it more manageable. She sunk her teeth into it and chewed, wincing at the flavor; a bit bitter and bland... But she was in no position to complain; meat was meat and it was better then no meat. She ate as much as she could; the rest would only last so long in the sun and she needed as much food as she could handle. She ate a good four inches before her ear shot up at a sound. Even though she knew better she kept chewing, even at risk of the noise of her eating masking something...
And yelping as a panther met her gaze. Her heart sank as it stalked forwards, licking it's lips. She gulped, swallowing a chunk of worm... The growl it then gave off had her running with a loud scream, rushing away... She ran and ran, looking back over her shoulder, expecting a hungry, black beast to be giving chase...
Only to stop for a moment seeing that she was being ignored for her previous catch. "[Hey!]" She grit her teeth... But offended as she was at the thief she knew there was nothing she could do... If she tried to reclaim her food she'd just give the panther an extra meal...
Sighing she dashed off... After all, no sense staying around if the worm didn't fill it's belly...
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Grounds of the Ungla'pul
Cress noted that James had taken down one of the Nym right off the bat and was now grappling with another. He was sure Aeris was on her way, knowing his cousin and how he could use the voxlux, but that left them in a four on three situation with Riri's condition unknown beyond 'not dead'. He and Miria shared a look and he was the first to fire; aiming dead center of their leader... Who dived to one side and with a one handed hand spring came to her feet and drew her bow...
Only to find the string severed; Miria's follow up shot was dead on. She let off a 'tsk' and drew a knife from her side, tossing the bow away. On the one hand that was an improvement.
On the other hand the other two Nym were rushing their flanks with weapons drawn. "Let's go!" Miria barked, dashing back as he followed behind her; standing their ground with two coming from the sides would lead to nothing good for them, to be sure. Both noted James fighting one of the other Nym and knew both would be unable to contribute to their end of the fight for the moment.
All three of the Nym gave chase with the pair ducking behind the trunk of a tree and Cress pressing a finger and a thumb into his mouth. Knowing what was about to come Miria flattened her ears and notched her next arrow while bracing herself. While most whistling couldn't hurt a Catalan's ears one who could work mana into music was a very different story before he stepped out with a deep breath and let out a screeching note that had her wincing; even braced and ready for it she could feel her head ache from the noise.
The other three were unready for it and stumbled, their hands clapping over their ears before she stepped out and aimed for the one with the club and launching her arrow, the missile slamming into the thickest part of her thigh, noting that Cress' whistling shifted as she took aim to give the arrow she fired more punch. The Nym woman dropped to the ground, clutching her leg around the missile's tail end as her club clattered to the ground, firing a second into the meatiest part of her upper arm on the other side as she screamed in pain.
That was one more out of the fight.
"[You honorless rat!]" Nym'Cli'ta let off, leaping forwards faster then Miria expected making her leap to the side and roll over her shoulder to her feet. She sheathed her bow and drew out her short sword as she turned to face the tribeswoman, Cress drawing his own blade as the hammer and shield woman swung for his head with a measured swing and not one aiming to cause massive damage, you can't easily mate with a corpse after all.
Or at least you shouldn't try.
Miria wouldn't delude herself into thinking she was a master swordswoman that could match her brother, let alone someone like Makoto but she had been improving and a simple knife was something she was confident in dealing with. Indeed her first swing made Cli'ta step back as she followed with a deflected thrust; she knew she'd need to maintain enough distance to keep her foe at bay and not allow her in arm's reach. She spared Cress a quick glance in time to see him use his own blade to shove the hide shield of his opponent aside and before she could strike with her hammer he decked her in the eye. She knew his father trained him in hand-to-hand combat but didn't expect him to resort to it like that.
That said, she had her own focus right now.
Nym'Cli'ta spun her knife in one hand, showing off her dexterity as she started to slowly circle Miria as she followed suite; circling as well. She kept her senses as honed as possible; after all with all the noise that they were making it was possible that one of the other tribes had heard them and she did not want the Kull to arrive and complicate matters further. Nym'Cli'ta charged in and...
Both of their ears twitched at the same time as they dove in different directions, a heavy net landing where their clash would have happened.
"Well, you're an alert one." She heard, hissing softly as Kull'Karna dropped down, likely from a tree's branch as he grinned to her. Landing behind him was a lanky member of his tribe where as a shorter, stout one attempted to tackle Cress from above as another dove at his opponent; Cress managed to roll away and darted towards her where as the shield using Nym caught her opponent on the chest with said shield and flipped them about to the ground before moving towards Nym'Cli'ta as the Nym with the two knifes rose up from the ground and started making her way over to them.
"Well, this is gonna turn into a mess..." Miria let off as she sized up the new situation... And she could guess where the fifth Kull was going to be...
[-]
Nym'Raka yelped and dodged back then to the side as I Dual Casted a Gale Burst and a Flare Spread that were combined together to create, for lack of a better tern, burning buck shot at her. I had aimed low and kept the power (Relatively) low to not kill her but the effect did do what I needed; gain distance as I followed up with a Scatter Bolt aimed at her legs. I was trying to disable her as opposed to kill her, but the situation meant I couldn't be gentle about it. She leapt forwards and rolled over my attack, starting to charge at me once more...
Before a very large Catalan in an iron mask dressed like some Conan or He-Man wannabe fell out of the sky, grabbed the back of Nym'Raka's head on the way down and slammed her face into the ground and none-too-gently. She let off a groan before the man slugged the back of her hand with a fist covered in leather gloves and with iron studs fixed into them. "No sense killin' a possible mate... You though..." He said though the slit in his mask as he stood to his full, rather imposing size. "You can just die."
"Well aren't you full of joy." I spat out, glaring at him.
(-)
Name: Kull'Quan
Title: Muscle of the Kull
Class: Monk
Level: 26
Alignment: Hostile
Reputation: 33
Status: Healthy, Battle Hungry, Confident
Known Traits
[?]
[Walk Softly] Your steps are naturally light and soft; increase Stealth by 5%. Decrease the odds of being the target of an attack over allies by 10%
[Focused Fury] When angered you can focus them to a useful ends. +5% to Con, Str and End when angered but in control. -5% to Con, Str and End when angered but not in control.
[Strength From Resilience] It seems your resistance to damage fuels your might. Gain 2 Str. Additionally for every 5 points in Con gain 1 in Str (Rounded Up)
Born larger and heavier then his peers most thought he would be a horrible hunter but Kull'Quan learned to make his size work for him through the use of ambush, traps and even bullying animals off their kills. Additionally he quickly proved his ability as a warrior against the enemies of the Kull.
(-)
"Tsk." I let off, glancing to the side. The rest of the Kull were moving to engage Miria, Cress and the rest of the Nym. This was bad...
"You think you can fight me when you can't match her?" Quan let off as he stalked to me... And I couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, there's a difference with you and her." I said as he gave a confused grunt. "They made it clear they weren't here to kill us so I was happy to pull my punches. You? I have no reason not to just end you and yours given what you just said." I told him as he chuckled at him.
"Fool..." He said as my view shifted to him, taking a moment to crack his knuckles. "I'll break you until you beg for death, Assa'enn..." He said as it panned back slightly.
_Muscle of the Kull_
Kull'Quan
My view shifted back to normal... right as he charged in quicker then his size suggested he could. Of course even without Observe I've fought enough 'big but fast' guys to be ready for that. I had a nice Dual Cast all ready for him; combining Vortex Tunnel and Frost Thrower to create a small, directed blizzard as he made a leap at me. That leap was the perfect time to fire my combination off; he couldn't redirect himself in mid-air after all. He grunted out as he was quickly covered in a layer of frost, landing on his feet well short of me and being pushed backwards several feet. He shivered and shook himself off; Catalans of the Savannah likely never had to deal with intense cold, let alone cold in such a directed attack. I followed with a quick cast Magic Missile, pinging the forehead of his mask with a loud 'pang' sound and stumbling him back another step before I dashed in, faking a thrust of my rapier.
To his credit he recovered and brought his guard up very fast but I still managed to cast a near point blank Hammer of Smite into his midsection, hamming him hard (No pun intended) and knocking him back before using Piercing Strike to aim at his heart with my rapier, hoping the combination of spells one after another knocked him off balance enough for me to get in a good, killing blow...
So of course he side stepped and landed a haymaker into my chest.
I had enough forethought to ready Steel Skin just in case and when he started to dodge I popped it to reduce the damage but I felt the breath leave my lungs for a moment when he hit me; he did not pull his punch... Thankfully my gambeson was tough enough to mitigate part of the blow, rolling with my landing and snapping off a Magic Missile aimed to his throat... However his fist punched it from the air while glowing a deep red.
Fun.
He charged me as I used a Dual Cast; first to snap a Magic Missile at his chest as he smacked it from the air once more and followed it with an Arctic Orb at his feet. He grunted and nearly slipped but he was able to widen his stance and kept his balance, even if it made him hold still for a critical moment...
So he could be dropkicked in the back of the head.
"You Kull Vegil'pi!" Nym'Raka let off with what I assumed was an insult (I'd later learn she called him an 'honorless rat') she let off as she rebounded from the force of her own kick and landing nimbly behind him, off the ice patch. Quan nearly toppled over but a glowing, red foot stomped down, shattering the ice and keeping himself upright. A glance to Raka showed me a nasty gash on her forehead and I had to guess she hadn't fully recovered.
A glance over showed me that the other ongoing fight was... a cluster fuck...
One of the Kull was down and looked out meaning there were three Nym (Jinta had recovered from my punch to the face and made her way over to that melee), three Kull, Miria and Cress in a three way combat with Cress stuck fighting two Nym and two Kull who were also fighting each other and Miria and Nym'Cli'ta fighting Kull'Karna who was proving to be difficult despite the two on one odds; likely due to that weapon of his. Noting Kull'Quan was turning on Nym'Raka I started to dash towards Miria, feeling I could make the most impact in that fight, only to to have a set of bola meet feet near the ankles and tripping me up as they wrapped about them. I used Levitation to prevent a face plant and move to the side and back upright, drawing a throwing knife to cut the bola as a loud crash made me glance to where I was and Quan slamming a glowing, red boot where my body was and Raka drawing another bola out.
Fucking hell...
I didn't know the whys but it was clear neither was interested letting me escape from this fight; although to be fair since everything was a three-way match at the moment (Save the one where two sides teamed up against one just to survive and would turn on the other after if they won) I'd tilt one fight to my side's favor if they just duked it out between themselves. I needed something to tilt things our way... And felt more then saw it as I waved towards Miria and Cress' direction with one hand as I prepared some mana. Just as Raka threw her bola I used a Gale Burst at it; knocking myself back in the air but also knocking the bola off it's course... And into Quan's face, making it wrap (Poorly) around his head below the eyes. I'd like to say I had planned that but the truth was that was lucky.
Quan charged, but in such a way that he was flanking my right; his head was also turned so he could watch Raka from the side of his eye. I had to turn this back into a one on one fight; this would get out of hand otherwise. Well, more out of hand then it already was... I used a Scatter Bolt next, sending a line of bolts at Quan forcing him to roll to the side before redirecting them all at Raka in a cluster before charging Quan as he came up to his feet. His eyes widened as I used a combination of Adrenaline Rush, Reflex Boost, Physical Burst, and Heroic Leap all at once to close the distance, the point of my rapier armed to his chest. He responded by bringing his left, armored forearm up and cocked his right hand back; clearly aiming to deflect and counter punch.
Instead, however, I used Dragon's Fist with my feint working as the attack to his chest never came and my weapon's D-guard slammed into his iron mask with enough force and impact to make a sound, deafening 'clang', denting his mask inwards as he cried out and stumbled back; yet still managed to stay on his feet. I was already set to deliver a follow up spell as I ended Physical Burst only to bring my glove's shield up and blocked a shoulder tackle from Raka, skidding back as she cupped her hands at her side near her hip and...
My eyes widened as they glowed a bright purple before she threw what looked like a point blank Hadoken into Quan's chest, sending him stumbling back further and into a tree's trunk. And he still stayed on his feet. Tough bastard!
Despite the amazement I was able to act, stepping in at her and feinting a spell from my left hand and making her brace her feet and prepare as I used Rapid Strike to thrust my weapon at her with a series of lightning fast thrusts that she backed up from to just get out of range... just as I used Arc of Steel to extend the range of my rapier with a blade of arcane mana, scoring a grazing his on her right arm, a more solid one on the outside of her right thigh and third by her ribs.
I already made a guess that Quan wasn't out of the fight and would jump back in before long so I used Heroic Leap to flip backwards as I readied a spell... And sure enough he rushed right back in, tackling Raka in the side with a spear-like shoulder tackle (Bill Goldberg and Edge would both approve) before lifting her upwards and slamming her back down with that classic wrestling move called the Spine Buster...
And catching a Fireball in the back from me as he rose upwards, the explosion sending him over Raka's body and crashing face first into the ground, leaving a mess of reddened and burned flesh on his back as I looked at him with Nym'Raka groaning and rolling to all fours...
And Kull'Quan, roaring out, slamming both fists into the ground and pushing himself back up to his feet as he turned to me. One hand reached up, tore his dented mask off his face before he threw it at me, making me duck as he gave off a loud roar as his eyes turned red, a thick jawed face staring back at me with four claw-like marks on each face in black.
If I had to guess this was like a low level Beserker's Soul or something akin to it. Raka forced herself up to her feet and leapt back as we stood looking to each other in a triangle; the two Catalan's closer to each other as everyone sized each other up... As much as I was confident I had an edge in this fight the fact was this wasn't the only battle going on here...
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
The Great Savannah, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Day Forty Two After Abandonment
"[Let me go! Let me go!]" Miria cried out, squirming as she was held upside down with one hand by the back of her knee. Laughter filled her ears as birds chirped in a nearby tree as squirmed and kicked about with her one leg at the three tribesmen around her and a forth holding her up. "[Please, stop!]"
"[Please stop! Please stop!]" One of the adults said in a mocking tone back at her. "[Bah! This is Yur territory girl. Even a frak'ka'gul like you should know better!]" He let off, chuckling as she cried, tears falling down and over her forehead as she felt blood flow into her head.
"[Where am I supposed to go!?]" She let off, whimpering. "[The floods won't let me go in any other direction!]" Indeed, the spring rain had come and come hard swelling rivers over their banks, spilling onto the grasslands and soil of the Savannah. She knew that flowers, berries and more would flourish soon... But she had to first escape the rising waters that spilled out so much she spent half the day and half the night traveling further and further from the usual shores of the river...
And into one of the tribes with one of the worst reputations of the Savannah. "[You can drown for all we care!]" One of the men let off as he pulled a fist back, slamming it into her stomach making her gasp out, clutch her midsection before she was dropped onto her shoulders roughly.
"[Shall we kill it?]" One of them let off as she groaned and rolled onto her front.
"[Why waste pussy?]"
"[She's not even fertile.]" The second's question was answered dismissively with a wave of the hand.
"[So? We can just break her in then break her for good.]" The second said with a shrug. "[I mean who's gonna care?]"
"[I mean... He has a point.]" The forth said with a shrug. She didn't understand what they meant, but nothing good she was sure...
"[Huh... Quiet.]" The first said, looking around.
"[Oh, don't tell me you care about her age too; pussy is pu-]"
"[Silence. Something is wrong.]"
"[Huh?]" The second man let off, looking about for a long moment. "[I don't hear anything.]"
"[Exactly...]" The first said, moving to where his spear had been set; propped up next to a rock. "[No birds. No noise.]" Indeed, birds that once chirped went quiet. Not even a breeze could be heard. "[It is too quiet. Kill the girl now before-]"
"[You're paranoid.]" The second let off with a huff. "[You just have qualms about-]" Whatever else he had to say was cut off as something burst from the grass; blonde as the tall grass it leapt from, jaws latched around the man's neck. It stood three feet from paw to shoulder as it's feet hit the ground, a second leaping at the first man who leapt away.
"[Direwolves!]" The Grasslands Direwolf, according to some scholars, found themselves leaving the north and migrated southwards until they reached the Savannah; once snow white fur slowly over generations and generations shifting to a blonde. To most Catalan this didn't matter. That they had become one of the de facto alpha predators in the region and one of the few to truly threaten the Catalan tribes did. "[Shit!]"
Another three leapt out of the grass, each going for a Catalan adult, the spare jumping at the leader who was the only one to manage to dodge. One of the Catalan's blocked with his spear's shaft but the massive beast had him pinned down, trying to wrestle the weapon away and the last had his forearm grabbed, screaming as the wolf rocked his head about to wound and disable his arm.
In the chaos of the direwolf pack's assault one small girl crawled away, tears still in her eyes. It took several minutes before she could get back to her feet and limp away...
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Grounds of the Ungla'pul
Before Miria was comfortable fighting Nym'Cli'ta; she was no swordswoman but having a sword was a hell of an edge in a knife fight.
And then Kull'Karna joined the melee with his macuahuitl; a weapon that could be called the bastard child of a club and a stone axe that was introduced to the Savannah from a far away land by the Catalan legend known only as Ce'tza, founder of the Nahua. His intent was clear; anytime he engaged Cli'ta he swung with intent to kill. When fighting her he swung with intent to knock-out; complete with using the flat of his weapon as opposed to the jagged, black, volcanic glass shards sandwiched between the planks.
No words were said but the fighting between her and Cli'ta was over for the moment; neither alone could handle the Kull's leader and even together it would be a struggle. At the moment Cli'ta had rushed her foe as Miria jammed her blade into the ground to pull her bow out with her left hand and an arrow with her right as Cli'ta slid under a swing between his legs as the man rolled forwards to avoid a knife slash at his legs, coming up to his feet as she fired her arrow... Only to have it blocked with the bracer over his forearm, her following arrow knocked from the sky by his weapon as he turned with a hard swing, Nym'Cli'ta yelping as she leaned back, setting her head to the ground and flipping her body back over to it's feet as he moved to slash at her again...
Only to bring his weapon up, hand pressed to a plank to block a strike from above as a pair of blades slammed into the planks and through them. He grunted and swung the weapon as the figure flipped off of it and landed next to her. "Riri!" Miria let off.
"Sorry for being late... I was a bit... tied up." She said, giving Nym'Cli'ta a glare. She spun her weapons in her hands as Karna looked over his own weapon; he seemed to consider the damage unimportant, or at least unimportant for the moment.
"So we heard." Miria let off as she saw Nym'cli'ta rush off towards the melee Cress was in. She let off a 'tsk' and fired an arrow after her; she could guess what would happen if the four Nym overwhelmed their combined opponents. Cli'ta hopped over the missile but before she could notch another she was moving, grabbing her blade...
Before the flat of Karna's blade came down where she was. She narrowed her eyes, using the pommel in the ring to hold her sword with her ring and pinky fingers to let her other fingers and thumb notch and draw her bow firing at him once more. He merely leaned away and aside from a graze on his shoulder she did no damage of worth. Riri was already rushing him as her blades came alight with purple flames as Karna snarled and roared out, swinging his blade out as dirt and soil rose up from the ground to coat and cover it with small pebbles starting to orbit it as it glowed with a dark orange color. Earthen Weapon, she was sure of it and as Riri swung her blades together at him he blocked with his own weapon. Living with a mage of a father and a mage of a brother she knew enough of the field to know that Earth was the best defensive element in magic and as he deflected her attack the lack of damage to his weapon showed that, yes, his weapon was hardened against damage now, even from Riri's Shadowblaze imbued weapons.
Great. She didn't know enough about elemental weapon enhancements beyond they weren't considered true spells (For some reason... Her father explained it to her once and she just... zoned out as he explained it...) but it still relied on the user's mana if they cast it themselves and while not costly in the resource could rapidly drain the smaller mana pools of those who didn't practice magic and she was sure Kull'Karna was no mage. Which begged the questions to her; was the technique something he knew how to cast or was a spellstone hidden in his macuahuitl that bore an enchantment? If he cast it himself how long could he maintain it before his mana pool ran out?
What she did know that in spite of Riri's weapons being imbued with Shadowblaze Weapon he was able to block it with no damage to his weapon and swing back in turn, Riri ducking and rolling before turning to slash at him only to be kicked roughly in the chest by him.
Well, Miria had her own technique as well as she took aim with her next arrow and fired off her own attack; Hawkbeak Shot. As her arrow launched at his thigh the arrowhead glowed a soft green as it's luminescence spread to the sides like wings... Naturally Kull'Karna moved to block with his weapon...
Only to lift his weapon up higher as the effect of Hawkbeak fully kicked it; wind coming under it's glowing 'wings' that lifted it upwards towards his head making him in the end lean towards one side as the mana grazed his temple, making a shallow graze of his skin. Of course the attack forced him to look away from Riri to herself, allowing the halfling to recover and leap at his back, blazing weapons in her hands... Only for him to spin away from her attack and smack the halfling in the back of the head with the pommel of his weapon, sending her hard to the ground; a follow up strike only averted as Miria fired another arrow he had to block as he started to charge her, his weapon's enhancement ending and Riri planted face first into the ground, not moving...
Miria grit her teeth; this wasn't going well...
[-]
Cress grit his teeth; this wasn't going well...
The Kull's sudden arrival turned a fight he was confident he was getting an edge in and replaced it with a mess of a brawl. The wounded Nym that took two arrows had pulled herself behind a tree to start mending herself but without magic he was sure her impact on the fight would be minimal. The other two Nym women were fighting two of the Kull men as a pair while the third Kull man engaged him; a six foot Catalan with half his left ear missing, short, black, shaggy hair and gray eyes glaring at him. His weapon of choice was an obsidian axe with an uneven, serrated, edge and he swung it like a madman; and given the grin on his face madman was accurate.
He hopped back to get some distance and panted as the man spun his weapon in a lazy manner. As it was Cress knew he'd get overwhelmed if he didn't change the situation, fast... But he had an idea for that... For combat bards it wasn't enough to project mana through one's voice or instruments it was to do so with a level of fine precision. Much of that training was manipulating a mana channeled voice to crack and shatter glass. Wine glasses, glass panels, spell orb...
And while he never had the material set before him obsidian was nothing more then volcanic glass.
He quickly started a deep hum and channeled his voice. It wasn't enough to just channel mana; there was a pitch needed to reach that was unique to each sort of glass and he needed to adjust his mana to match that pitch... But doing both right meant he had enough feedback from his targeted material to adjust...
"Are you trying to annoy me with that noise, Vaan'nysm, or is this some strange noise of fear your people emit?" The Kull tribesman let off as Cress kept it up, feeling the obsidian glass with his mana, adjusting to a higher and higher pitch as the man grit his teeth. "Tsk... Little bastard... I'll kill you!" He let off, charging and lifting his axe over his head, forcing Cress to dodge to the side, adjusting his voice as he did. His attention was divided but both his dodging and voice needed a tight focus. He stepped back, deflected another swing with his blade and kept up his voice as he snarled at him. "Knock it off!"
He kept it up before starting to, for lack of a better term, 'feel' the glass of his axe start to react and started to adjust as needed. And then... He felt it 'click' as he swung with his blade in both hands with an overhead swing aimed at his head. The Catalan blocked with axe, snarling as he adjusted his voice's pitch higher and backed it with his mana... And the moment his blade struck the obsidian shattered and exploded. Cress, knowing the possible result, moved an arm over his face, shutting his eyes to guard himself. The Kull warrior on the other hand...
He screamed out loud and started barking something in that strange language of his; he had studied some Catalan as a means to impress Miria... before he learned of her... conflicted feelings about the Savannah and it's people. If he recalled it correctly however the man was screaming 'My eyes! I can't see!', or something to the same effect as he sheathed his blade and drew his bow and an arrow, notching it and firing at the man as he stumbled. He let off a 'hurk' as the arrow slammed into his left chest, falling backwards with a grunt, curling into a ball; his face and upper chest littered with tiny scratches with glass sticking out here and there. Cress dismissed the idea of killing him; he was out of the fight so killing him was a waste of time and he was more worried about Miria, turning and drawing another arrow...
Only to have to yelp and back up as he saw Nym'Cli'ta threw a net at him, deciding to just drop to his back, lifting his legs up off the ground and tucking them to his chest as the net sailed over his head. "I can at least get one prize!" She let off as she jumped at him...
And had her nose give an audible crunch as he just kicked his leg out and slammed his heel into her face. "Th-this is getting out of hand." He said as the girl slumped over now deprived of consciousnesses and given a broken, bloody nose, standing up and moving to Miria's side.
As for the other Nym and Kull, they could fight it out all they wanted for all he cared...
[-]
I made another go to rush to my sister's side but both Raka and Quan moved to block me, Quan getting directly in the way and Raka just attacking me, starting with a combination of punches I used my glove's shield to block. The effect was almost like holding one of those practice pads in martial arts and she was going all out like a heavyweight, champion boxer and I was being rocked back on my heels. This let Quan rush in from the side and I couldn't tell who he'd try and clock first. Deciding that I needed to do something I turned and moved to Raka's side as she gave a strong haymaker that missed fully and recovered fast but was unable to dodge as I nailed a point-blank Gale Burst, knocking her towards Kull'Quan and making her skid back on her feet... And as I expected he just smacked her aside with the back of a meaty fist to her temple, sending her to the ground. If what happened the last time that he slammed her head is any indication she wasn't going to stay down... But maybe she'd stay down long enough.
Either way for the moment it was one on one like I needed it to be. He kept up his charge as I used my foot to send out a Seismic Serpent at him, a snake-like wave of energy rushing to him before exploding the ground upwards to his legs... As he jumped up at me high in air some twenty feet, his fist pulled back. Thinking fast I used Arcane Weapon to make a large, ten foot long spear in my left hand with two prongs two feet down from the tip. Sure, I didn't have the training or class to use it right... but when all you need to do is brace one end to the ground, point the other in the right direction and let gravity do the rest did you need the right class?
His eyes widened as his fist glowed that same red as he punched the tip of the spear, breaking it but also arresting his momentum in the air and letting me use Flare Spread to pepper him with a series of small fireballs that he brought his arms up to defend against; I had quick casted it so they lacked the punch to do more then scorch his skin lightly but it made him cover his face as I readied another spell...
Before he rushed in and hit me with his glowing, red fist in the center of my chest. And this time it hurt and sent me hard to the ground. I kept a grip on my weapon but struggled to move as a sudden, unnatural feeling of unease came over me. I knew what the attack had done; he jammed a bit of, for lack of a better term, tainted mana into me. In short it was designed to disrupt my natural mana stores and render me unable to cast spells for a few moments. The human body, in this world anyway, drew mana from the environment passively and would remove this tainted mana on it's own, faster with some focus or an ingestion of mana via a potion or the like, but it made casting spells and using mana based techniques near impossible while in there.
Oh, and I might have a broken rib from the force of the punch. That's not helping either. Quan stomped over with a chuckle as I struggled to get up, trying to come up with a counter to what he did... Only for a javelin to plant itself in the middle of his chest. "Hurk!" Quan let off as Raka charged him from behind. He heard the reckless charge and threw an elbow back into her, making her jump to the side and dodge the counter to her attack... As a set of legs moved next to me as I looked up to see...
Mir'Mokria!?
"What a mess." He let off, a spear in his right hand as he reached to me with his left. "Both the Nym and the Kull are too focused on such base wants as sex and mating. Bah." I grunted and took his hand with my left, letting him help me to my feet. I was confused, but I wasn't going to argue with someone helping me in this situation.
"So... What's your angle?" I let off, coughing as I reached to a pouch at my hip, popping the cork off a mana potion and downing it. Once the mana flowed into me and sped up the taint's removal I was able to cast a Blessed Recover on myself as Raka positioned herself between myself and Miria, again, as Quan reached down and just yanked the weapon from his chest with a pained grunt before tossing it aside. He snarled at Mokria with narrowed eyes.
"I've no wish to kill you and yours, if that's your worry." He said to me, spinning his weapon once. "But if you must know my reasons are to understand why the Spirits brought my once daughter here." I fixed him with a glare and once noticed he huffed. "Spare me your rage; it is not my place to claim her life nor undo harm. But I must challenge her to understand the will of the Spirits."
Ohhhh, I had reasons to give him my rage alright... But right now was not the time. Right now he was my ally... I guess the Ungla'pul made for very strange bedfellows. "Fine. If you wouldn't mind handling Nym'Rocks-for-Brains over there I'd like to settle a score with Kull'Ugly over here."
"I can hear you!" Nym'Raka hissed out at me.
"Woman, right now I don't give a shit!" I let off as I threw a Fireball at her before dashing at Kull'Quan. Mir'Mokria chased my spell to charge her as I set up a Dual Cast. He charged likewise but I had enough of this crap as I used Aqua Stream from my mouth first, sending a stream of water at his face before using Heroic Leap and using my other, readied spell and prepared my next... He shook the water off and took a big, heavy swing at me... or rather my Illusion I had prepared... That distraction was enough for me to throw a Thunder Lance down at his chest from above; the lightning given form slamming into his chest near or at his heart, making him convulse in place as I used Levitation to stay in the air this time as I prepared my next Dual Cast.
Given that much voltage right in or near his heart that should kill him... But given the sheer level of punishment he had taken up until now and how that wasn't enough to do more then piss him off, well... Sometimes there's no kill like overkill!
And that's why I used Dark Flare and Vortex Tunnel in tandem to send a twister of burning, flaming, purple tinged death down at him in a vortex that was so hellish Satan himself would have whistled in appreciation. I flew off towards Miria as it cooked the man alive...
Once we had a chance to take stock scorched bone with chunks of burned flesh were all that remained of him. But that didn't matter right now. I had other worries.
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
The Stockade Woods, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Day One Hundred and One After Abandonment
"[So hungry...]" Miria let off listing and limping forwards on the side of the wide, dirt pathway. Over the course of the last... However long she'd been alone she'd gone through hardship after hardship. At best other tribes told her off and scoffed at her, others had chased her and ran her off and away from them. The last one she had run into, the Jhil, forced her north, dropping her off on one side of a river that bordered the Savannah and what she knew only as 'The Woodlands of the North' of which she had only heard about... Not that it mattered...
Food was as hard to come by here as it had been before. Her last meal was a rabbit she managed to daze with a stone and was able to skin and cook with her sharpened stone. She had found a small, chipped knife along the way... That the Jhil threw into the river they carried her over. At least the flint she found was left, letting her start a fire... Although such lean meat could only do so much good...
That rabbit was eaten over twenty five days ago... And she had nothing for a week before that... She found the odd bush of berries but they only had a mouthful at most... And she hadn't had even that much for two weeks. She was starving and had little energy for anything. Water was plentiful but no matter how much she drank her tummy burned with hunger. She had become so skinny her clothing was hanging off of her; she had tightened the cord holding her bottoms up maybe seven times and her top was close to falling off. "[Food... I need food...]"
Each step was pain. Each breath was pain. Each moment was pain, loneliness and despair... In the end she didn't trip. She didn't fall. She just... collapsed. She crumbled to the ground like a puppet with cut strings, groaning. She didn't even have the energy to cry. "[I'm... I'm going to die... I'm going to die... I don't wanna die... Papa... Papa... Someone... Anyone... Help me... Don't let me die...]"
Her begs seemed to be unanswered by the woods. She laid there in harsh sun held back by leaves for an hour before the first signs of life she'd seen since she fell...
A raven that landed some feet away. Curiously it looked to her as it hopped closer to her. She whimpered, trying to muster the energy to shoo it away but she couldn't bring even that much to bear. She heard tales of how ravens ate; carrion birds that started with the eyes...
Her mismatched, accursed eyes... She whimpered and tried to move as the bird hopped closer. Under normal circumstances the idea that a raven was cause for fear was laughable. In that moment it might as well had been a panther. Or worse, her mother...
It moved closer, walking now... Three feet away... two feet away... One foot away... She shivered, sure her eyes would be pecked out...
Only for the bird to squawk and fly off. She was surprised but heard the soft rumble of earth from her ear pressed to the ground. She had no idea what happened before the rumbling grew and it passed by...
A box on wheels pulled by horses. They had a name... She couldn't remember it. She just wished she could eat it... Or even catch it... But something happened...
The box stopped... And it's side opened to show a non-Catalan woman dressed in bits of metal that covered little of her body clamber out of it before she rushed to the downed child. She whimpered; she knew the score by now; accusations of trespassing on territory, sneers, threats... And she already struggled to answer it when her belly wasn't beyond empty...
"Oh my stars! Merlin! Merlin! It's a child! Dear heavens! It's just a child!" The woman let off, picking Miria up off the ground and cradling her in a pair of strong arms. She shivered as she was carried to the box, seeing a bearded man step out. She knew the common tongue, unpracticed as she was in it, and was aware of what they were saying but... The tone was...
Of concern?
"Indeed... A Catalan child..." He said, rubbing his beard. "What is she doing so far north so the Savannah?"
"What does it matter!? Look at her!" The woman barked out as this 'Merlin'. "She's nothing but skin and bones! We must help her!"
Help... her?
"Indeed my love, but you must calm down." He said, a level of firmness coming to his voice. "She's clearly been starving for sometime now so we must be careful about feeding her; if we feed her too much in this condition her body won't be able to handle it and she could die on us."
She could... die?
"Dun..n't..." The pair gasped, looking down at her as she tried to speak their words, even if in her weakness it was clumsy and hard to understand. "Wunt die... Wunt... wunt..."
"Shhhh..." The woman let off, rocking her softy. "Don't speak... We'll help you, we're here to help you Sweetie so please, please... Be strong..." She said as the man went back into the wheeled box and brought something with him as he came back out.
"Here we are... We've some thick juice here..." He said, holding a bottle. "This should be a good start to help her recover. We'll need to feed her juices, dried fruits and soups to start with. Once she's stronger we can move to meats..." Her stomach gave a eager, if weak growl. The offer of something that wasn't water sounded heavenly in that moment. "Here Saxon, help me get it in her mouth. Come little one... I can't give you much yet, but you need to drink it down to help regain your strength." The woman tilted her so her head was raised higher as the man used one hand to support her head and the other to set the bottle to her lips, tilting it back until she could taste something sweet and like the berries she had plucked on her tongue, swallowing it with the greed and eagerness only a starving child could. "There you go, there you go..." He said before finally pulling the bottle away.
"What do we do with her?" The woman, 'Saxon', let off as she looked to the man. "We cannot leave her alone..."
"And our business does not let us much time to delay from the road to find her home..."
"No..." Miria let off, coughing lightly as tried to speak, the woman shushing her once more. "No... 'ume. No peepal, Awone..."
"Alone..?" Merlin let off, stroking his beard as he shared a look with the woman. "Hmm... Regardless of the situation we can gain no answers from her until she's stronger. We've no time to search and we cannot leave her be."
"Then we must bring her with us until she's healthy and hale." Saxon said with a nod. "Once we've heard her story in full we can decide what to do then." She said before giving the child in her arms a warm smile. "For now you can rest at ease. You shall not come to harm in our care; I shall not permit it."
Somehow Miria found new tears to shed... And a better reason to shed them as she was carried into the box...
And little did she know, her future...
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Grounds of the Ungla'pul
"Hold still!" Kull'Karna let off as he swung at Miria again and again. Each blow was not aiming to kill her but knock her silly. Given what she knew of him and his wants that wasn't unexpected, but she was still on the back foot... Doubly so as Riri was still unmoving after being struck by his weapon's pommel. In spite of her best efforts she was being driven back by the much larger, stronger male Catalan and just deflecting his attacks left her arms aching. As much as she tried she couldn't dodge each hit; hence the deflection.
She was left sweating before the whistle of an arrow could be heard, Karna leaping back and batting the following missile out of the air with his bracer as she saw Cress rushing towards them. She was glad her friend was still fine and coming to back her up, but also worried; Karna had less reasons to leave Cress alive then her or Riri.
And why was he humming in such an odd way? His humming raised in pitch to the point it was starting to make her ears ache; she could only guess what he planned to do with a mana infused hum but it was clear he was up to something as he drew his sword, setting his bow away. "Grahhhhhhh, you little Vaan'nysm! End that obnoxious sound!" He let off, swinging his weapon in a wide arc as Cress ducked, swinging his own weapon in an odd, overhead swing, the two weapons colliding...
And the obsidian in Kull'Karna's weapon exploding and sending shards of black, volcanic glass outwards, the wood of his weapon splintering apart as what was between it broke apart. Kull'Karna was quick enough to turn his eyes away and close them but some shards still peppered his right arm and the right side of his face; nothing sticking into the skin but leaving a series of small, shallow cuts. "What!? How? [Impossible!]" Kull'Karna let off as Cress turned and rolled over his shoulder towards her, rising to his feet and turning to face their opponent.
"Are you okay?" He asked her as she snorted.
"I could ask you the same thing, given your admirers." She said with some sarcasm in her voice; she was just glad he was fine. She set the tip of her weapon into the ground to draw her bow once more but gave a soft hiss as she saw something from the side of her view, Cress turning to look...
Two more of the Kull rushing to them; likely having defeated their Nym counterparts. The odds were looking bad once more...
Just before they leapt back from a series of silver bolts of magic sailed past them, nearly hitting them. "Sorry I'm late..."
Her brother had arrived.
[-]
Seeing Riri down and out was not doing me any good but she was alive and that was good enough for the moment; more could be done once we regained control of the situation. That said as I landed I noted the odds were now three versus three... And smirked as I held a Fireball in my hand and threw it... Over the heads of the Kull who seemed confused for a moment...
Only to dive in opposite directions as a vortex of wind slammed into the Fireball, sending it's flames down to where they were. "Apologies for the lateness; I stumbled into three Catalan gentlemen that seemed unwilling to let me part with them." Aeris said as she stood on her staff, floating downwards slightly.
One of the Kull (Kull'Aku, according to observe) snarled and looked to his leader before speaking in the Catalan language. Kull'Karna sneered at us and tossed away what looked like the remains of his wooden and obsidian weapon before reaching behind him and drawing an iron knife; a curved kukri style one. One of his tribe mate's reached back with his off hand and drew a similar knife and tossed it to him, Karna catching it in a reverse grip and spinning it to a standard one before speaking something. (I would later learn it was to the effect of 'We are the Kull. We are the warriors of the Savannah and we do not yield or beg') It was clear from all three that they weren't going to back down...
And a spike in mana had me turning and using the shield in my glove as I stepped before my sister and blocked a blast of lightning from yet another direction and saw another of the Mir snarl and step full around his tree with a pair of hand axes in hand (Mir'Honka; a Rune Blade with a the Axe Crazy trait, meaning he could use axes as a primary weapon. Fun.) as he glared at my sister.
Well this was becoming complicated once more...
A hiss from Miria had me looking back to see Mir'Mokria stepping out; I guess he won against Nym'Raka and was joining the big fight. "Finally going to deal with your daughter, Mokria?" Honka let off as the man with the spear huffed.
"Calm, Honka." Mokria let off as I looked about. The Kull in front of us in a half circle, Honka to one side and Mokria to another with Aeris overhead. Quite the situation. "I will challenge her... preferably after the Kull are dealt with." He said, looking straight to Kull'Karna.
"You want to die, old man?" The Kull Leader spoke as Honka snarled.
"I say we work with the Kull, kill her and deal with the assa'enn!" Honka barked out as I sighed.
"You're so popular today." I told Miria softly before taking on a serious, if hushed tone. "I will say this, your 'old man' bailed me out of a tight spot." I said as she gave me a confused, shocked look. "I think we can trust him for the time being. At least enough to not stab us when our backs are turned."
"My dear cousin Honka is clearly less willing to play nice." She said with a huff. "But I agree. We have enough trouble already as it is, so we need to-"
"You need to die!" Honka snarled, charging us as I let off a 'tsk' and moved to meet him; he was channeling mana through his weapons and not in a discreet manner; it was possible he wasn't formerly trained as he readied another spell and fired another thunderbolt at me; my shield blocked it in full as I used Shadowblaze Weapon on the Unicorn's Horn, making it come alight as I combined it with Sonic Wave as I swung at a diagonal, sending a bladed wave of mana at him; a purple, burning wave no less. He ducked low and to the side to avoid it as I readied my next spell, watching him closely.
He cried out loudly, coating his weapon with Shocking Weapon as he swung his right handed weapon as I blocked it with my shield. He was getting ready to strike with his other weapon, thinking he was close enough to make my weapon hard to use and looked rather surprised when I just used Power Punch to clock him in the face, following it up with a slash as he stumbled back; he let himself stumble more to avoid my slash, even tripping over himself and rolling over his shoulder to his feet. I aimed my weapon forwards as he spun his weapon, sneering. "Assa'enn bastard! I will see the Zon'ka's will be done!"
"Buddy, I've lost every, single fuck I had to give over the last however many minutes of this bullshit." I told him simply and tersely. My maid and good friend was out cold, I had one guy trying to rape my sister, this guy trying to kill my sister and one more trying to 'challenge' her because 'reasons', so I was a bit sick and tired of this crap. "Now, be a good, little kitten and come get your ass kicked into two dimensions." He snarled at me before charging as I braced for the attack...
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
The Stockade Woods, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Day One Hundred and Three After Abandonment
Miria groaned softly as she awoke to a grumbling tummy... That was not unusual for her...
What was unusual was that she was warm and not exposed to the elements for a change, laying on a soft mat under a tent, if a strange one. She gently pulled herself from the strong yet feminine arms that held her as she sat up and yawned before looking to the woman, this 'Saxon'.
She lay on her side, snoring softly with her skimpy, metal bikini replaced with thin cloth that... Covered not much more. She spent the time between after being found between sleeping and then awaking or being awoken for a meager bit of food or drink before being made to rest some more, often falling back to sleep. She was sure such restrictions weren't meant to torture her; the feedings were regular after all, they were just never enough to satisfy her. She finally stood up... Before gasping and sticking her tail out; while strength had started to return to her she still felt weak... But not weak enough to be unable forage for something as she moved to the tent's opening, pushing it open and stepping out into a forest lightly kissed by the light of a fading sun.
"Oh, you're up." She nearly stumbled over herself as she turned to see the bearded man, this 'Merlin' smiling at her before stepping closer before kneeling down to be closer to eye level with her. "So, you've regained some of your strength have you? What has you up?" She gulped, unsure how she would answer the man, unable to find the words in his tongue... And then...
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
"Ah. That explains it." He said with some amusement. "Come along. Let' see about getting you a little something, shall we?" He said, extending his hand to her, palm up. Gulping she took it in her own, tiny hand as he stood and led her to a log that had been felled and covered with a cloth with the man sitting on it and she sitting next to him. And then... the smell hit her...
Food...
A food she had no words for beyond a stew of some sort, but food. There... In a pot over the fire, cooking... "Give the girl a bit of stew, but keep the portion small please." She turned her head and gave her him a hurt look as he sighed and moved to pet her head as she flattened her ears; upset she was would have her food limited again. "I know, I know... But when people fast for an extended period, which is to say go without food for long stretches, eating too much at once can tax their bodies that have grown used to little or no food. I would grant you a feast if I could but until you've regained your strength further we must limit how much you eat. I would hate to see our work in nursing you to health go to waste because you died to your meal." He said as she pouted but allowed her ears to lift up slightly.
"I... I unda... undera... Umm..?"
"Understand?"
"Y-yes..." She said, blushing as she nodded. "I... Undastand..." She said as he smiled and nodded. "Tannk you..."
"Quite welcome, child." He said, hand moving to his chest. "You've been resting mostly so we haven't been introduced properly. I am Merlin Noxdecus, Baron of Mungale in the Kingdom of Eostia. And the woman who has helped you was my wife, Saxon Noxdecus."
"Trabe 'ame afta your 'ame?"
"No, Noxdecus is the name of our family." He said with a chuckle. "We are not a tribe in the same was as those of the Savannah but you can say the people of Mungale are our tribe, in a manner of speaking." He said with a chuckle. "And yourself? I managed to understand from what you got out when we found you you had no people so I assume you mean no tribe-" He was unsurprised as she nodded. "-but even still, you must have your own name."
"M-miria."
"Miria? A fine name." He said with a grin as he leaned in. "You know, I was an orphan myself, growing up." He said as the girl's eyes widened as she looked up to him. "I wasn't exactly alone; I grew up in an orphanage which is a place where children with no families are raised. I wasn't alone but I didn't have family either; not anything that could be called a tribe of any sort. I was lucky to have been found to have magical talent. And it helped me meet my darling wife, troublesome as she can be, time to time." He said chuckling a bit.
"So... wat uf I?" She asked, slumping in on herself.
"I'm not sure myself." Merlin admitted softly. "For now we'll wait to have that talk once you are stronger. Whatever we decide I assure you we'll ensure you're taken care of until your old enough to take care of yourself. For now your only goal is to become strong and well."
"Ah, that's where the little one ran off to." Miria heard as she saw Saxon, back in her 'armor' as she walked over to their log. Rather then sit next to her mate the woman sat on Miria's other side.
"Indeed. Miria and myself were taking some time to get to know each other." Merlin said as Saxon's eyes widened.
"Miria is it? Such an adorable name." She said, clasping her hands together in front of her right shoulder as she smiled. It wasn't long after before three bowls were brought over; the one with the least given to the small girl with a smile by a man in metal armor who would walk back to someone else in the camp. "Eat up my girl. Once my husband is sure of your tummy's ability to hold food I'll cook something for you myself!"
"Feesh?" The small girl let off.
"Sure, fish!"
Meager as her bowl's contents were she ate it up, happy for both warm, cooked food and the prospect of having a whole fish to herself. On either side of her Merlin and Saxon made small talk. They didn't ignore her but would prod her to join their conversation with smiles and warm voices...
She was experiencing something she'd only seen from a distance in her time with the Mir... Something she never thought she'd even get a taste of for herself...
Family...
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Grounds of the Ungla'pul
Karna's two underlings moved to try and bring down Aeris; the aerial mage laughing aloud as she started to knock them about with her wind magic from out of reach. She was surprised that when with battle with their boss began it was Cress that charged at him as opposed to letting him charge them. And while she had the urge to join him and back him up... "Why are you here, old man?" She said, sword in hand as she looked to Mir'Mokria, her birth father, as he stood before her, the butt of his spear pressed to the ground. Despite what James had said she was still not sure about her birth father and his presence here.
"I am here for the Ungla'pul, same as you." He said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Although I am surprised the spirits brought a frak'ka'gul here, let alone one who settled in another land."
"That's not what I mean and you know it." She let off as he huffed. "Tell me, what did Honka mean by 'dealing with me', old man?"
"...Something he thinks needs to be done. What I think the Dinn'u'mir (Spirits of the Stars) disagree with." He said looking about for a moment before slowly moving to a combat stance. "Miria... I will see what the will of the spirits see in your fate... So... [defend yourself!]"
He thrust his weapon at her chest, forcing her to deflect with her blade, stepping in to swing, only to have him block her strike. She knew her father liked fighting at mid-range and could handle long range with his thrown weapons. Her best bet was close range, but even then she was sure he had an edge there. She did have one thing going in her favor in the match however...
Ten years of pent up anger at the man as she aggressively swung at him, even in close range. She wasn't so angry to not use what sword skills Gregory and Makoto helped hammer into her, of course, but she was an archer by nature. Still he was backing up and blocking with his spear as she pressed her attack, sure he would retaliate soon... And he did, thrusting his spear's shaft with both hands to knock her with a blunt blow. She was able to duck and was about to attack when her instincts screamed at her, making her roll backwards as she drew her bow and an arrow as he spun his spear and slammed it's butt down where she had been. As she came up her blade was hanging by it's pommel, arrow notched as she used Hawkbeak Shot at just outside of point blank. He braced his spear to block but it was what she aimed at from the start as the mana coated arrow slammed into it with a loud crack, cracking the wood with the force of the impact but not breaking it apart. Mokria grunted, fulling breaking the spear and turning the butt end in one hand; as if to use it as a club.
He let off a huff and charged, swinging both weapons in a club like manner as she gripped her blade normally, forcing her to deflect and dodge backwards. She knew enough that she now needed to pick her spot; she kept her bow in her off hand, using it to deflect his attacks as well; while not meant for it she didn't think he'd give her another chance to fire off an arrow. She waited for her spot, at one point crossing her weapons to catch both of his and shove them to once side... Finally he reared back his right arm for a swing as she leapt forwards at his side in a manner practiced with her mother, her adoptive and true mother, tucking herself into a ball and flipping fast enough to land on her feet without the rest of her touching the ground, inverting her weapons grip and thrusting it back, being sure not to punch into the man's ribs with her blade...
Only to see he too had inverted his weapon, the spearhead of half of a broken spear pressed next to her neck... Both of their eyes met and both of their eyes were wide, sure they had the other beat... And instead they found themselves in a stalemate...
"What are you waiting for, Mokria!" She heard Honka cry out as he fought her brother. "Finish the Zon'ka's will and kill her!"
Wait, what?
[-]
"You have no use to anyone, you rotten little Vaan'nysm!" Cress was still unsure of what exactly a 'Vaan'nysm' was but the tone made it clear it wasn't nice. "I will kill you, take the woman as my rightful prize and there is nothing you can do about it!" He screamed out as Cress deflected the knife attacks with his blade, backing up slowly and taking his own swings as the chances came. He took a couple nicks, he gave a couple nicks but neither had gotten a good advantage. He clicked his tongue and knew he needed to do something to change the situation and made a choice.
He waited for one hard swing from his opponent and moved to lock his blade with the man's off hand knife, twisting his sword to fully catch the blade and swung his blade to disarm him; managing to get the knife out of his grip, even though he took a shallow cut across his chest to do so. Kull'Karna roared out as Cress slid back to avoid another knife swing, thrusting his blade at his left side only for the larger Catalan to harshly knock the blade aside with his forearm bracer and out of his hand, swinging his knife at him in turn. He yelped and ducked and with no weapons clenched his hands into fists and swung his left fist towards Kull'Karna's side as hard as he could; his father's hand to hand training coming back to him.
He was an archer and a bard to be sure, but he was also the sun of Fredrick Bijoux, the Mountain of Mungale, and his father made sure that Cress could handle himself in a fight even if a weapon wasn't in his hand. And his father drilled one technique into him over and over and over again, just in case.
Humans, elves and catalans all had a similar body structure to one another with their internal organs being mostly the same. There were some differences, of course; the elven heart was turned forwards ninety degrees when compared to a human one, a halfling's were often denser then a human's and so on... But placement was mostly the same for all internal organs, tucked behind the rib cage to guard them against impact and hardship... However one of these organs grew in a way that it extended just partially under the rib cage, leaving a small section of it unprotected to assault of any form... So long as you knew where this section was located and could hit it.
And if nothing else his father had drilled the Liver Blow into him time and time and time again and when he swung his fist he swung with all the force he could muster he impacted the side of Kull'Karna's side just under the ribs...
For his part, Kull'Karna felt the blow and winced; he would give the vaan'nysm some credit; he was more of a warrior then he initially gave him credit for and would give him some respects after his death as he inverted the grip on his knife, ready to drive it down... Before his senses became overwhelmed with a sense of vertigo and pain. He stiffened himself and resisted with all his will and might to avoid collapsing into a fetal position as his body demanded; what technique or ability the vaan'nysm used on him he didn't know but for a moment, a long moment, he was unable to move as he resisted his body's urges to fall to the ground in a ball...
Only for his jaw to take an uppercut from the vaan'nysm, sending him down to his back with a pained grunt. He tried to rise, fighting his own body in the attempt only to feel his sternum crack as the vaan'nysm dropped his whole body weight onto it knee first and following it up by falling forwards with an elbow slamming into Karna's face. Thankfully the smaller male didn't have a knife on him, Kull'Karna wasn't sure if the boy had the balls to make a kill but it would have given him the option. He started to recover from the odd paralyzation of his body and started to reach to the brat to grapple him off his body but was cut off as a fist crashed into his face, breaking his nose. As a second slammed into his jaw he moved his forearms to cover his face to guard himself, his arms still resisting him from the odd blow to his side from earlier; one fist hitting his eye socket before two more impacted his forearms, now in place to guard noting the punches were pulled before impacting the iron of his bracers...
One to have the boy lean a hand onto his forearms, pushing them up and slamming a punch into his chin, knocking his head to the ground; he didn't see the punch coming nor did he expect one to land easily once his guard was up; the force knocked him silly for a moment and when he raised his head on instinct another crashed down and...
It was as if he was no longer in control of his body; he just went limp. He wasn't knocked cold as his eyes stayed open. He didn't suffer a broken neck or the like; he could feel the soil under his back... And the blows raining into his face.
Punch followed punch followed punch followed punch, knocking his head side to side with the blows as now and then a bit of blood started to spurt out and with an odd, detached realization he noted it was his blood. The boy's fists were becoming coated in it as well as each fist crashed down into him before something seemed to just 'pop' from his mouth... And he saw a small white thing clatter from his face over the ground and noted, it was a tooth... his tooth. Now he was starting to wish the opposite of before; that the boy had a knife... It would have been quicker...
"[Mer... ercy...]" He let off in his own language noting after speaking it that the brat likely didn't know what he just sai-
"[No.]" His eyes widened in time for a fist to crash into one of them, accelerating a swelling bruise before his already broken nose was slammed into once more. A new kind of dread filled him; he had underestimated a vaan'nysm of all people in not just his strength but his resolve as punch after punch came down into him. A shift after a punch landing signaled he lost his two front teeth... He remembered when they fell out as a kid, how scared he was then. It was silly really, thinking back on it.
It was less silly now as the next punch made his jaw buckle and the one after that pulled one side from it's socket. His head was turned to it's side and he felt a hard punch land on his temple; he swore his skull squashed in slightly with the impact and feared it gave a soft crack. That two more punches landed there in the same place didn't help.
The smaller male grabbed his hair and pulled his head up before slamming an elbow back down into his face before more, rapid fire punches rained down as he lost half his vision. For a moment he worried that he had an eye punched out until he realized it was just swollen shut... Then the bruise that his eye had become was punched once more and he felt something crack and shift there; what just happened he didn't know...
"[Meersssshhhheeee...]" Begging for his life at the hands of a vaan'nysm... His father would be embarrassed of him from his grave... His Zon'ka would call him a disgrace...
More punches were the answer to his pleas for mercy until someone else called out. "What are you waiting for, Mokria! Finish the Zon'ka's will and kill her!"
"What!?" The brat said, his flurry of blows finally coming to an end, standing up off him and looking aside, to what Kull'Karna knew not. His face shifted with each painful breath in ways a face was not meant to... And each breath saw a small, spurt of blood escape his mouth, lifting just high enough that his one, open eye could see. He was left to wallow in his own ache and agony, unable to move an inch as he felt... cold...
So, so cold...
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
Castle Akulla, South of the Great Sererus Lake
Day One Hundred and Fourteen After Abandonment
For the rest of the trip Miria stuck to the Noxdecus pair as close as she could. Saxon would speak to her, talking mostly about her son and sister, making sure the child had what she needed and looked out for her. She even took the time to get her a new outfit from a tailor at a city; a place full of wooden and stone buildings she had only heard of before now. The soft, pink cotton was unfamiliar to her but not unwelcome.
Merlin, in the meantime would tell her stories he knew of and when she spoke he would gently correct her language, trying to teach her to speak the common tongue more. He seemed very happy as her words sounded more and more like what he used. In addition once in the city he took her to a man more specialized in healing magics and explained her condition to him. He agreed with the mage's assessment and then started to use a strange, golden magic on her. He told her it would fortify her body and help accelerate her recovery; even saying she could be given double the food she was getting and that in a couple of days she would be fine to eat without restrictions, barring those that the size of her stomach set.
Which led her to one of the most delicious meals, no, the most delicious meal her young life had seen and tasted. They were staying with someone called a 'lord' in his 'keep' and Saxon was allowed to borrow the use of the kitchen to cook for her; one whole lake trout seasoned with herbs that bore funny names, a 'butter' made of a cow's milk and grilled slowly and with loving attention, served with a set of vegetables in the same herbs and butter.
Not one bite survived.
Sadly since arriving at this 'keep' the time spent with the Noxdecus pair dropped harshly; Merlin said they had arrived to talk about trade between his barony and the local lord of the land which consumed a lot of time with Saxon joining him often. Even when they left her alone, however, they had one of their soldiers look after her; he was a sterner man like her father had been before he... left her, but was never unkind and when some woman in very fancy clothing called her something that sounded mean (What did 'mongrel' mean anyway?) he told her firmly that she was a guest like she was and should be treated with the same good manners as she expect Miria decided she liked him.
At that moment, however, she was trotting down the hall towards the room the Noxdecus couple were staying in; she heard they returned to their quarters and wanted to visit them, reaching for the metal thing on the door and getting ready to open it...
"You know it's the right thing to do." She heard Saxon speak out as Merlin gave a sigh.
"Dear, understand that yes we agree she needs a family, but I do not think we can do it." Merlin answered. "Make no mistake; we will not see her left alone or abandoned in such a manner again, but the political blow back from the Council-"
"Didn't you say you didn't care for the Council's opinion on most things?"
"Indeed." Merlin said, answering his wife. As Miria opened the door enough to peer in; she knew they were talking about her and wanted to get an idea of why she caused an argument... Once peeking in she could see Merlin on a plushy seat, looking to his wife. "But you sort of foisted dealing with them onto me, so I am forced to care a little and I know more then a couple would react badly. I am sure someone suited in Argon would be willing to take her in, provided Miria wishes to return to Mungale with us."
"I don't see why she wouldn't, but this is more important then... Then... Then a bunch of self righteous arses who sniff their own farts and calls it perfume!" Saxon, by contrasted paced before her mate, looking like an agitated panther, ready to strike even with no prey or enemy to strike at. "It's about more then giving her a home or a family... We should bring her into our home and our family..."
"And I do not disagree with that." Merlin said firmly, holding up a hand, as if it would temper the mood of the woman before him. "But as the rulers of Mungale we must consider the problems this can cause. The common people don't mind Catalans at all, but the nobility are more then like to sneer; at least the Traditionalists and the Conservatives will."
"Well we're not on the best terms with them to begin with, so what does it mat..." Saxon trailed off as she noticed the door was ajar... and small face peering through the crack. "Oh, Miria... Good evening... Come in, please..." She said as Miria gulped, ears flat to her head as she walked in, shutting the door behind her before walking closer.
"Are you... fighting because of me?" She let off, shivering. She was worried that if they kept fighting over her they would...
They would...
"No, no... No my dear." Merlin said, shaking his head and offering a smile. "We are in disagreement over you but we are not fighting. We are discussing what is to be done with you as we leave this realm." He said, patting the couch. "Come. We need to speak to you about this regardless; it might as well be now." Her ears unflattened from her head but stayed low as she walked over, sitting next to the man as Saxon took her seat as well, next to Miria. "Our talks will conclude in a few days and once done we must leave for our home. That is the way of things but as of now, you are in our care. And as the ones in charge of that care we cannot, in good faith, abandon you. As such we need to ensure you are cared for and in that regards you must make a choice. You can stay in this city; we can take the time to find an orphanage or family that can look out for you or you can come across the Great Lake to Eostia and our home in Mungale and settle in there. We can find someone to look out for you there and we'll be close enough to check up with you as well."
Her eyes widened a smile coming to her as her ears perked up; a choice she didn't even need to consider. "I-I want to gu, err, go with you, of course!" She let off, hugging the man's side. "But... Why couldn't I stay with you?" She asked in childish innocence.
"Ahhh... Well the situation has... certain politics involved..." He said sighing. "Needless to say even if I were to explain it you might not understand; even if you are a bright girl it is a... complicated mess for anyone... One my wife has dumped into my lap..."
"You're better at it and we both know it." She said with a huff. "And, my little one, that is what I'm arguing for; to make you our daughter as opposed to a ward." Miria sucked in a breath looking to her with wide eyes and a grin.
"And while I enjoy the thought-" Merlin said, speaking up in a manner designed to emphasize the point he'd make. "-I'm not sure how we'd deal with the ramifications dropped into our laps by the Council of Idiots."
"I'm sure you'll figure a way to smooth things over."
"With the likes of Blitzhaus, Draken and Caelum?" Merlin said with a scoff. "That would be an issue..."
"Come on dear, you can do it and we both know it." Saxon let off as Miria looked to him. He bore a conflicted face, arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he was considering things, wrestling with both sides of the situation... Just as she reached up to him, tugging his sleeve with both hands, giving him her biggest, wide eyed 'I need' look.
"Pleeeeeease..." She let off in the neediest tone she could manage. Finally he sighed.
"Very well... We can formalize it once we're home, but you will have a part to play in front of the Council when the time comes, Dear."
"It'll be worth it." Saxon said as Miria gave an honest smile. "Hear that girl? Soon you can call yourself Miria Noxdecus!"
"I... Miria... Nox...Noxdecus...?" She let off, tasting the name in her mouth...
She sort of liked it...
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Grounds of the Ungla'pul
"What are you waiting for, Mokria! Finish the Zon'ka's will and kill her!" My opponent shouted out as we had a pause in combat; Mokria and Miria were off to my left (And Honka's right) as I looked over I saw them in a mutual kill situation. Meanwhile Kull'Karna was on the ground and... jeeeeeze what happened to him? Given how his face looked it was like he was in a car accident inside of a car accident.
I mean... He had it coming, but damn...
Mokria huffed and gave Honka a stern look. "Well!? What are you waiting for!?"
"I have no intention of killing her." Mokria let off, huffing as he was the first to pull his weapon away. "Merely of testing her. And I am... more then satisfied with what I have seen." A burst of wind knocked the other two Kull members back towards a tree by Aeris but while I had to keep an eye on that it was in the background and she didn't need help at the moment.
I had a more... maybe volatile situation here.
"The Zon'ka's will-"
"Is nothing to the will of the Spirits." Mokria let off as Cress was standing in a position to flank the Catalan male if need be... And I noticed that his hands were caked in blood... How did that happ-
I glanced back to Karna. Oh... Damn... Note to self, don't box with Cress...
"What are you talking about!?" Miria barked out, stepping back from her birth father and glaring at Honka (Who I would recall a moment later she mentioned off-hand that he was her cousin. Fun family reunion going on here...) as she looked ready to react to either of the Catalan males that were nearby.
Well, of the two that didn't have their face smashed in.
"Figures you don't know... Uncle was meant to end you and your curse..." Honka let off, pointing at axe at her. "The Zon'ka demanded he take you far enough away from us that your corpse would not poison our presence anymore." Miria gasped at him before looking to Mokria as I narrowed my eyes at Honka. I wanted to do something for Miria but I could only do so much with Honka right before me.
"...I have no wish to end my own blood..." Mokria said with a soft huff. "Cursed or not she is my daughter. I had... I had planned to do it but... I could not... When a child, your child, offers so much unfettered trust to you how can you kill her..? And yet if I took her back to the tribe she would die just the same, to the hands of another... And so I placed her into the care of the spirits." He said stoically and yet... You could see his shoulders softly slump. "If she would live or not was up to them. They led her to this realm for a reason. Do not misunderstand, I did not want to see her again nor did I want her to be in this Ungla'pul. She is frak'ka'gul. That is enough."
"That is not enough!" Honka screamed out, taking two steps towards him, pointing his axe to him now. "She is a zu'kura (Cursed One) as marked by the mismatch of her dunn'mir! (Dun'mir meant Soul Star which was used almost solely by the Mir as a reference to the color of one's eyes) She is to bring disaster to all around her! And to us! No matter if she is across the Savannah or across the world the spirits will being ruin to us!"
"Then why did they spare her?" Mir'Mokria replied simply as Mir' Honka snarled loudly.
"Fool!" Honka barked out. "Spirits that favor the other tribes would be more then willing to bring ruin to us! You will kill her now before the Zon'ka hears of your cowardice and-"
THA-WACK!
And I had enough of his ranting and took advantage of the fact he was focused so hard on Miria and Mokria and had his back to me and just clocked him in the back of the head with a Power Punch with my D-Guard.
I didn't feel bad about it. "I got tired of his bullshit." I said simply... As he groaned and tried to rise up.
An Adrenaline Rush boosted stomp made him stop.
"Humpf. Honka admires the Zon'ka too much." Mokria let off with a huff. "Respecting your Zon'ka is important but the spirits take precedence. Regardless, the prey is still loose. I should go and find it..."
"Hold it!" Miria let off as he turned to leave, walking away before she shouted at him. "Dridra!" at him; I'd later learn she more or less called him Papa.
"...You should not call me that..." Mokria let off with a huff as he kept walking. "I have not been your Dridra in ten summers. It is a title I cannot cla-"
"I'll call you whatever I want to call you!" Miria barked out as she dashed around him and moved to block his path, looking up to his face, his head turning to avoid her gaze as he stopped walking. "...Why...? That's all I wanted to know as a child, just why..? Why did you leave me like that? Or at least... Why... Why didn't you come with me?"
"...You just heard why... I could not kill you, and so I told you that you were exiled..." He said, sighing as I sheathed my weapon, moving closer. "I left you in the care of the spirits... If you died to animals or of starvation... Dead is dead, Zon'ka's will be done... " He spat out with a huff. "But... I... I did not want you to die... Forcing you to leave provided a chance you could survive and small as it was I hoped the spirits could guide you. I am sorry..."
"But... you still left me..."
"Your mother is my mate and... while yes, we disagree much I do love her... And she was with your brother in her womb... I could not leave her either..." He said as he took in a breath before looking to her, locking eyes as she looked up to his own. "It was unfair and it was cruel to leave you, yes, but you lived by the grace of the spirits. That is all I could ask for. As sorry as I am I shall not ask for forgiveness from you. We both know it would be unearned and that you should not offer it."
"I'll offer it anyway." Miria said without a second thought. "Dridra... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset... But... You're still my father... And I still love you..."
"...Even after leaving you there..?"
"Even after that."
You could see the man shudder for a long moment before collapsing to his knees, Miria moving to grab him around his torso and him hugging her shoulders in turn, his body wrecking with barley audible sobs as I sighed. I didn't fully know how to feel but... I was convinced Mir'Mokria wasn't a bad guy... Just a guy who was once put in a bad situation... I moved over to them, setting my hand on Miria's shoulder as I looked down at the pair; the man's body shuddering softly, offering more apologies as a few tears leaked from shut eyes. Once sure everything would be fine I focused on a tracking spell, eyes narrowing as I looked about...
There... Just about half a mile away now and on the move. I turned to look at Cress and winced; with the Miria/Mokria situation he had moved to Riri and lifted her up princess style, out cold and started carrying her over. I moved over to them and started to cast Blessed Recover on her straight away and checked on her; she'd be fine I was sure but I'd want Celestine to look at her as soon as possible. "You set a tracking spell on that bola, right?" Cress asked as I nodded.
"Yeah. It's not that far and it is moving." I told him.
"I'll keep an eye on things here... It might be a good idea to bring it down quickly." He said as I nodded. Once the aka'singh went down there would be an enforced peace between the tribes in the Ungla'pul for a brief time after the hunt ends. I nodded as that was my idea to start with as I finished the healing spell.
"Thanks. I shouldn't be long." I said before using my new, faster Levitation to hover up then fly off towards the target. This would be more then a bit of drain on my mana as Levitation still wasn't the most efficient spell but I had the stores to do it, if only because the target was so close. It wasn't long before I started to hear shouting and bellowing under me as I looked down to see what looked like a three on five fight; the rest of the Mir and the Ur I assumed. I ignored them and kept tracking the deer which was rushing away from the ongoing melee. Indeed it was more then likely one side had a good shot and the other side attacked before they could get it off. Either way it didn't matter.
The deer started to slow down, possibly thinking that it was away from the hunters as I hovered over it, drawing mana for a Magic Missile. If I missed I wouldn't have the mana to handle a conflict with the Mir or the Ur so I focused on my aim before I fired off the bolt.
It never saw it coming as the spell slammed into the top of it's neck and punching through it. The effect was instant; the deer dropped to the ground as some... golden ball of light rose from the wound and into the air over me before exploding into a flat, golden circle. The Ungla'pul had come to an end as I landed next to my kill, the circle overhead remaining.
It was finally over...
[Defeated List]
The Tribe of the Nym=1200XP
The Tribe of the Kull=1200XP+600XP Kill Bonus=1800XP
Mir'Honka=600XP
+20% Dark Horse Bonus
Gain 4320XP Total
Level Up!
You are now Level 25!
+1 to Dex, Acc & Mnc!
+1 to End!
+1 to Rap!
+2 RSP & SSP!
+5 UTP!
Achievement Unlocked: Ungla'pul Champion
You and your 'Tribe' won the Ungla'pul!
Nothing wrong with a level up!
[-]
A lot happened before I got back to camp. The Mir left their fight with the Ur to go back to camp while the Ur found me with the kill, gutting it and cleaning it to get it ready to bring back to camp. Once I gave them a brief story of how I ended up killing it they offered to help me bring it back to camp which I was more then happy to accept. Once back at camp I took stock of the situation.
The Ur had come out of the contest with some minor wounds; they only had a mobile, ongoing skirmish with the three Mir members. Likewise the Mir were mostly unharmed beyond minor wounds; the exception was Mir'Honka who suffered a concussion.
I was tempted to give him a few more...
The Nym were a mixed bag of injuries; Nym'Cli'ta had a badly broken nose (Broken by Cress, it seemed), Nym'Jinta bore a concussion from my hit to her face and one of their members took arrows to a leg and arm and needed Celestine to heal quickly, and once everyone realized Celestine was happy to provide healing for all gathered they were all lining up for it. Aside from that Nym'Raka had a concussion (More likely multiple given our fight and Kull'Quan's part in it) and as it turned out took another hit to the skull by Morika. As for my own group only Riri was really hurt and after a visit to Celestine she was up and bouncing, more or less. The only other notable injury was on Cress' knuckles; he cracked one in his right hand on Karna's face.
The Kull on the other hand...
Hoo boy...
The two Kull Aeris knocked about were mostly okay; a few head injuries and cracked ribs. Then there was one (Kull'Zhan) who had his weapon exploded by Cress which lodged Obsidian shards in his eyes before taking an arrow to the chest. He was alive and Celestine did the best she could for him... But his eyes were far too damaged to repair. That led to Celestine having one of her Templars fetch a pair of spell stones that could be enchanted to replace them. I wasn't thrilled into being pressed into doing that work for the Kull (Which was understandable, so I would think) but Celestine talked me into it. I was tempted to throw in something to sabotage him but in the end I did my work as well I could; professionalism and all that. He was grateful for it, at least. But that was where any good(-ish) news ended for Team Kull.
First of all Kull'Quan was overcooked by myself. Looking back at the results of a wind boosted Dark Flare I could see why Olga Discordia's Annihilation Steam was so feared; I had mimicked it on a small scale and turned a catalan into a hunk of charred meat and bone... Not something I wanted to think about... And of course there was Kull'Karna to add...
Cress had gone full MMA on him minus the cage and a referee to pull him off the bastard as he more or less attempted to perform amateur brain surgery on the Kull with his fists. He failed but it was clear it wasn't from a lack of trying.
Karna's left eye was swollen shut and his right eye wasn't far behind. His jaw was misshaped and clearly both broken and dislocated and his cheek bone was dented in. At least three teeth were missing, his lip was split in two places, his nose was crushed to the side, the center of his face looked like it bore a fist print (It was my imagination, but you can't blame me for it) and he was just caked in blood. By the end of the hunt he was still breathing... With some blood spitting out with each exhale. He was in bad shape but still breathing (Kinda) when his two buddies carried him back, being as ginger as possible to not hurt him further...
And somewhere between where his face got pushed in and arriving back at the camp he stopped breathing; it was likely his lungs filled with his own blood along the way to camp and he just more or less drowned in it. Celestine took one look at him and shook her head with an offer of condolences to his fellow Kull.
I wasn't going to shed tears myself.
Once the Cent's elder declared us the winner he gave a small speech and a smile. And for our win we got something odd; once done talking Cent'Aka raised his hand as the golden circle overhead collapsed and something could be seen, falling slowly until it landed in my hands, all the while shimmering with a golden light; a pendant of a hawk with both wings spread and facing forwards made of what looked like gold with a matching chain that connected from wingtip to wingtip. I think the 'gold' was some form of solidified, hardened mana. How it worked I wasn't sure; maybe like Arcane Weapon on a denser scale? Either way I offered it to Miria who quickly donned it around her neck. Then there was one last question; what to do with the deer meat.
I was told the right of who was allowed to eat the meat of the aka'singh and how it was cooked was the right of the one who made the kill (So me then) and what little I understood spoke that eating the meat of the aka'singh was an honor for all those who were allowed. I promptly then asked for it to be cooked with herbs and allowed it to be shared by everyone who was in the Ungla'pul.
This was designed as a gesture of good will; two of the Kull were dead (Still not sad about it) and one of their number maimed (Although with spellstone eyes replacing the real ones) and the Mir were very tense and seemed split between Mokria and Honka in regards to Miria's presence in regards to what they were told on top of the Nym being... well, the Nym. There was a good chance of some bad blood between us and almost everyone here but the Ur and while I didn't think the Kull, Nym or Mir would go from the Savannah to come knocking on our door to cause further problems there was no sense in not taking a chance to smooth things over.
(I would later speak with the elder Cent'Aka on the subject; he was rather sure the Nym and Kull wouldn't be an issue. The Kull were defeated in honorable combat and to hold a grudge over it would be dishonorable to them. The Nym might try and seduce Cress the old fashion and non-rapey way but once they left that was that. The Mir was the one he wasn't sure of; they wouldn't do anything here and now with the Spirits enforcing a 'time-out' but come the morning that would end. The question then was did they see killing Miria as important enough to send people to Mungale? That was up in the air and would depend on if Mokria convinced them that her surviving really was the spirits will. Either way I'd keep an eye on them until we were well away from them.)
Riri insisted on cooking for us and while I was hesitant on letting her after how she was knocked out she convinced me with her logic and reasoning (And... large puppy eyes, I'll admit) and she set off to work with Celestine of all people offering to help. When I asked Celestine said she didn't cook often but knew how and even studied under someone named Harron Stakan which meant... nothing to me.
(I would mention it to my mother later and she did know the name; he was a chef who traveled Sererus to study every dish he could and was well known to those who were into cooking. He lived over five hundred years ago which would explain why a layman in cooking like myself never heard of him.)
As Riri focused on the cooking I sat with one of my enchanting books as set a chair just outside of my tent as I read up; I had plans to refine and wanted to be sure they would be as refined as possible. It was not too long after I started that I heard someone walking my way; Mir'Mokria. He was dragging his feet slightly, ensuring I heard his approach as I set my bookmark between the pages before I shut it. "Can I help you?" I tried my best to keep my voice neutral; I think it was fair to say I still had... conflicted feelings for the man at the moment and still wasn't sure how to process them.
"Greetings, James I am told?" He said as I nodded. "I have... Words I would speak, to you and your parents. As they are not here I would ask that you pass them along; and the start of those words is... Thank you." He said as I blinked and gave a slow, nod and turn of my head as a means to press him to continue. "You are not assa'gul nor Mir, so I would not expect you to understand in full but... I was not in a position to make a good choice that day... I was meant to kill her, something I could not do. I was then set between abandoning her or my tribe, my mate and my unborn child. I made what I felt was the best choice but... There was no good choice..."
"Couldn't you have argued against killing her?" I asked him. My tone was still neutral but I had a feeling he was being honest with me.
"I did. I knew they would not accept her remaining but I at least argued that we should wait until she was fourteen before we exiled her from the Mir." He said with a huff. "I had thought at least by then she would be strong enough and skilled enough to take care of herself, mayhaps join another tribe as someone's mate... But they found the thought of exile was not enough to rid them of her curse." He said as I showed a bit of annoyance how he said she was cursed. "You do not see her eyes as a curse?"
"It's just heterochromia." I replied with wave of my hand. "It's rare and it's a bit odd but it's hardly a curse." I told him as he sighed and nodded.
"The Mir, as I said, are people of the stars." He said, as he moved to sit on the ground, cross legged before me as he set his hands on his knees. "We are born of stars and we are born of the Spirit of the Stars. This is reflected in our eyes; the windows of the soul and the reflection of the star we are born under. The brighter and clearer your eyes, the more color they have then it can only mean a stronger, clearer and brighter soul. You and your eyes are bright, clear... powerful. If a Mir with your eyes was birthed you would be seen as one born for greatness." I nodded to him as he sighed before speaking.
"But Miria... Has eyes of two colors... two stars and thusly two souls." He said sighing. "It is said a soul of the zu'putm, a Demon of the Void, will steal itself into a child and fester there... Fester and grow stronger until it can, someday, fight the spirits and claim their power."
"And you disagree." I stated simply as he flinched and looked at me with a bit of surprise. "As you said; you argued against killing her. And when forced to you refused. If she was the host of a demon and you really thought that then killing her would be considered a mercy. But you didn't."
"I didn't, yes. I... You may think this silly, but the night before I was to do the deed I had a dream, a vision I am sure." He said, looking to me. "Two, glowing butterflies; one gold and one blue flying over fields of pink grass... Flying about from flower to flower, a child's laughter about... I think the spirits spoke to me, tried to show me what her soul really was... An innocent one... An innocence I harmed. I did what I thought was best at the time. I am not proud of it."
"Mmmm..." I let off as I leaned back. "I see."
"Regardless I spoke my peace." He said, standing up to his feet.
"Are you going to talk to Miria now?" I asked as he flinched.
"I should not."
"I disagree." I told him as he looked to me. "Look, this situation is... Messy and I don't know what to feel about it or about you. I imagine my sister feels worse off, but she said that despite everything she still loves you. Last time you left her you left with regrets. Do you want to leave with more regrets because you left things unsaid? Not just from you but her?"
"...A fair point. I do not know what awaits me when I return to the Mir." He said with a deep sigh. "I do not imagine it would be pleasant. Thank you, James of the Noxdecus from the land of Mungale. May the stars guide you to glory." He said, giving a shallow bow and walking off towards Miria's tent.
[-]
Flashback - Ten Years Ago
Outside Argon City, Barony of Mungale within the Kingdom of Eostia
First Day in Mungale
Getting to Eostia was something of an adventure for the young catalan. They rode on a giant wooden building with big cloths on poles to catch the wind that sat on the water (More water then she'd ever seen before!) called a 'ship' that ferried them to the north to someplace called 'South Point'. Then it was back into another box on wheels (Called a carriage, it seemed) and rode north then northwest for several days, more then she counted. There were all kinds of interesting places (Although her new parents agreed to avoid a place called 'Forestside' and another called 'Hakla') before finally arriving in the evening to their destination.
Compared to many of the places in this Eostia this place was small; the city that she could see was smaller then many on the way there and Merlin admitted that Mungale was Eostia's eighth smallest territory but it was also comfortable and cozy with a mostly easy going people. "Ah, home sweet home..." Merlin said as she saw where they were going... A large house with a big tower and with a large, stone wall wrapped about it. She couldn't help but be a bit nervous and excited at the same time as the rode through it's gates before seeing that the grounds bore flowers.
So many pretty flowers!
Finally they stopped before the building with the big tower in it with Saxon being the first to step out and helping her out of it before Merlin stepped out after her. Before anything else could be done she heard a woman speak. "Welcome home."
"Ah, Sora. Tis good to be home." Merlin said, smiling as Miria turned to see a tall, tall woman in an outfit (A maid's outfit she was told) that showed more skin then you'd ever see with the Mir. Her skin was darker then any she had ever seen and had pointed ears. "I imagine you got our letter?"
"Indeed; the papers are ready when you are." She said before looking to Miria and kneeling down to be closer to Miria who stepped back. "And you must be young Miria. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Sora Reinclive, head maid of Mungale Manor and servant of the good House Noxdecus. I will be one of those who will be here to help you with your needs, so please don't hesitate to cal upon me when you require it."
"O-okay..." Miria said with a nod as Sora smiled to her. Suddenly the big woman didn't seem so scary...
"Regardless..." Saxon began with a smile, setting a hand on Miria's shoulder. "Where is James right now?"
"The library, M'lady." Sora said with a smile, a sort of coy, bemused one.
"Of course..." The woman in the tiny metal bikini said with a giggle. "It's been too long since I've seen him!"
"Indeed; I imagine young Miria is the only reason you haven't just run off to him." Sora said, her bemused look growing.
"Come..." Merlin said with a chuckle. "Let's go see him and then see about getting a late dinner, shall we?" He said as he led her inside...
She had seen the stone walls and carpeted floors before and had become used to them now but once they reached the library she couldn't help but gasp. She had known of books before but being of a nomadic tribe she never learned to read. Merlin was the one to show her a book for the first time and read from one a story; coupled with a promise to teach her to read for herself. Books, according to him, held stories, held knowledge, held history and held so much more. And she was in a room with books!
Walls of shelves with nothing but books. Books, books and more books! How could anyone read them all!?
A small snort took her out of her musings.
She had been so engrossed in the sheer number of books that she missed the tables of which to read them on.. And the room's sole occupant before they had arrived. It was a human boy of her own age; clad in a blue tunic and black pants with short, brown boots on his feet and a mop of black hair on his head... A head resting on an open book on the table, arms splayed out with eyes shut and snoring softly. It was sort of cute, in away as she trotted to the table's end, looking at him from his left hand side to his face, setting her hands on the table and moving her face so only her eyes was over the table. Her new father chuckled softly as he walked over to him.
"My son is studying to become a mage like myself. Well, perhaps not exactly like myself; he seems to be a bit more athletic then I had been at his age... But regardless..." He said before setting a hand on the boy's shoulder and giving it a shake. And then another. "Eyes open, my boy. We're home and we've someone for you to meet." He said with another shake before the boy seemed to finally come alive, squirming and finally moving to sit up and yawning out loud, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand before his eyes fluttered open and looked at her in a sleepy manner...
And she had seen the clearest and brightest eyes she had ever seen; a dunn'mir she had been told only seen in great men and leaders. "Huh..?" He let off as he looked to her for a moment as her ears flicked twice. "Wahhh!" He let off, flinching back and nearly hitting the ground before Merlin caught him.
"Ha, Ha, Ha... Ah, we're home, my boy." He said as James looked about and grinned, calling out 'Mom! Dad!' and giving the man a hug before setting him down on his feet. Saxon seemed to struggle to not scoop him up for a hug of her own "Sorry we've arrived so late... Regardless, allow me to make an introduction. Come around the table dear." He said as James looked to her as she stepped out, biting her own lip. "I'm sure you had a chance to read the letter we sent but allow us to tell you in person." He said gesturing to the young girl. "This is Miria; a young catalan we've bringing into the family. Once it's all official... She'll be your sister."
"Oh! Well... that'll be new..." He said, smoothing his tunic out before looking right at her. "Ah... h-hello! I James Noxdecus."
"M-Miria..." She said, squirming a bit... "...Miria... Noxdecus..."
[-]
Present
Southern South Point
Camp of the Ungla'pul
With the fighting done and dinner cooking over an open flame Miria took stock of her weapons insider of her tent. Once her bow was checked over as well as her arrows she took her blade in hand, inspected it and then set a whetstone to the steel to begin work on it's edge. If she was honest with herself she neglected her sword skills in preference for her archery for most of her life and while she's proven to be a master sharpshooter the reality of the situation was experience was showing she couldn't be just an archer; she was mostly fighting besides her brother, Cress and their friends in a small group. She had no line of pikemen to guard her while she launched missiles with impunity nor did she often have a place to attack from others could not reach. Which meant, depending on the situation, something could always close ranks to a range that her bow wasn't as useful in.
Maybe she should take her sword training more seriously? If nothing else between Makoto, her brother, Cress, Aunt Karen, Sora and the manors various guards she would have plenty of people to learn under... And at that consideration, perhaps seeking out Cress and Uncle Fredrick for hand-to-hand training might be a good idea as well... She had to admit, Cress had... Changed over the years... The brat that would hide behind her back in school was finally able to stand up for himself and fight someone twice his size and win; even after being disarmed. She was impressed...
Not that she'd tell him that...
The block on her tent was knocked on twice and when she called out for it to enter she saw... "Dridra?" She let off as the man moved into the tent, looking uncomfortable yet resolved. She'd be lying if she said she was fully comfortable around him once more; after all one revelation did not remove ten years of hurt. But she'd also be lying if she said she wasn't happy that she could talk to him on... mostly normal terms.
"I apologize if I am disturbing you." He said as she shook her head.
"It's fine. Just checking my equipment before dinner." She said as she kept moving the stone over the blade's edge. "Can I... Umm, what brings you over?" She asked, trying to act casual as he moved to sit cross legged before her, hands on his knees.
"I... Before I returned home I would... Like to talk with you..." He said softly. "Understand what happened and how you found your new family... And... I must do... something to make up for the harm I have caused you, even if I have little to offer but my ears to listen."
"Well... I'd be lying if I didn't want to know about how the Mir fare... Mostly Grandfather..." She said softly.
"He still lives." Mokria said to her surprise, her eyes widening. "He spent the first season after you were gone sure you were alive but unsure if you were well... And then one day he seemed convinced you were both alive and well somewhere."
"Yeah, I think I spent... Spirits, I don't think I counted; months at least! I spent a lot of time starving and wandering..." She let off with a rueful smile. "I spent more time hungry then not..."
"I am sorry..."
"Stop..." She said with a small huff. "I... I think if we dwell on that it'll do no one any good. I'd be lying if I said I'm still not hurt over being left like that... But at the same time if we focus on that alone I don't think I'll overcome that hurt and you won't overcome that guilt. So... Maybe no more apologies and we just... I don't know..."
"Talk?" Mir'Mokria let out.
"Yeah... Talk..."
And so, for the first time in a decade a father and his daughter spoke in private.
And after dinner they would talk some more.
And when it was done both would agree there was less hurt and guilt in the world.
[ - Author's Note - ]
That was the most chaotic fight scene I have ever made so far... Seventeen characters to note and keep track of in one fight, all entering or exiting it at various points. That said I think it came out well; let me know what you thought.
The Miria flashbacks were also an experience to write; a peek into just how hard she had it and an idea for how long. I had an idea of how I wanted to play Mi'Mokria but it wasn't until I got to his first scene here that I fully settled on the direction. I imagine he'll be a divisive character but he's sort of meant to be; someone who you have trouble liking but also someone you can't really hate either. Let me know your opinions.
Next chapter will be the Interlude and I'm planning on work on a Questlines chapter. For a guest reviwer that asked about James knocking up a Harpie, it happened in Eostia: Harem Questlines which is an AO3, pure smut side chapter collection. I try and answer questions, but I can't do that for guests. Anyway, if it pans out I'll let you know in the Interlude chapter.
And after that we'll be leaving Ken and Celestine for Maia, Rad... and a few other characters... Leave a comment, let me know what you thought and enjoy the new year!
Until then!
~~Eostian Scribe