Event: Primitive Nine
Zarina found herself not so much in a pit but within a massive pile of sand. She was at least thirty meters down and more was pouring down on top of her and alqasas at every moment. What was more was that it was heavy - unnaturally so. There were ten small alcoves surrounding the circular pit, and all but two were occupied by hard-bitten-looking cazenax. The remaining two were home to... a pair of eeaiko!?
“Eshi.” grunted Zarina, ass on a pile of sand with more unusually heavy sediments befalling her. Instinctively, she rolled down the cone to get closer to one of the alcoves, helm back on and quickly trying to not succumb to panic. The sand at least offered cover from the majority of the alcoves occupied by hostiles, but now she had to face those behind her, shield at a ready.
The dragon flailed in fear and rage. The sand was not going to keep it still for long as it immediate flapped its wings, causing a whirlwind of sand to cover the whole 'arena' while it tried to ascend. The sand, however, was immensely heavy and it was solidly half-buried. For all that froabases were large and impressive creatures, they were lightly built out of necessity for flying. Getting free would be a struggle. Much as Zarina tried to extricate herself and Alqasas thrashed with all of its might, the sands were hungry and closing in. Yet, it wasn't all natural. Someone was pushing against their efforts - someone strong and versed in magic. The struggle was desperate but - by the barest of margins - Alqasas broke free. Was it time to escape or time to fight? The assassin's darts strike true, piercing the gaps between the scales and puncturing the froabas' hide right in front of its wings. The magnificent beast cries out in pain and anger. “This is bullshit!” growled Zarina, doused in heavy sands and narrowly avoiding turning into a crispy afterthought to the assailants. There were ten enemies, four of which had shown themselves to be unusually dangerous. Meanwhile she was stuck in the middle of it with her dragon unable to take flight. “Alqasas!” she called for her wounded dragon, but it was no use. The beast was enraged and definitely confused. “Fuck.”
Desperate, Zarina dashed through the line of fire and straddled her flailing beast at her own peril. The Froabas never truly calmed, but the familiarity of its mother-figure did provide enough structure for it to consider its only viable option: Up. Withstanding the unnatural sands, the majestic creature clung to the stony surface and ascended. Many efforts were made to stop Zarina and her alpha steed’s escape, but ultimately the sheer power and speed of the animal were still formidable even when bound to the earth. With swift hops to freedom, the dragon pierced through and took to the sky.
“Oraff you sweet sweet dove!” celebrated the pumped up Virangish as Alqasas drilled into the air and picked up speeds that few creatures of such size could contest. The two girls circled the village from a “safe” altitude. “There goes the info. Eshit, that was a terrible idea.” she clenched one of the protruding back-scales of her dragon as she directed her to progressively create distance from the village. “Sorry, baby. This is all on me.” she peered at the beast’s wing and noticed the hurting it had taken. Guilt and responsibility filled her, prompting Zarina to call upon her knowledge of temporal magic and mend the damaged wing.
The motley crew of sorts were no match for the power of the dragon and its tamer. Yansee did not have the proper resources, bodies, to be able to tether the woman to her sandy grave. Tried as she might to stay on her tail, the gauntlet mercenary had slipped through her fingers and took flight. Her eye still set on the dragon as her bounty moved something within her that normally would have laid dormant. A sense of yearning for something other than her goal. Snapping her fingers, she pointed at the talented temporal cazenak, then gestured her finger upward. It didn’t take long for him to realize her strategy and acquiesce. In a blip, Yansee was in the air, hurtling towards the back of the dragon in her best chances and a bag of bones on the floor in her worst outcome. She could feel the presence of her dotting father boosting her mid-air alacrity, allowing her to land squarely behind Zarina on the back of her dragon.
Tapping her on the shoulder, she sheepishly asked, “Eye theenk wee cood tawck aubew this”
A temporal ripple was sensed - Zarina knew what was coming. Behind her! The poor Eeaiko barely had time to make her introduction before eating the back of Zarina's helm to the face. Nothing too hard, but enough to have the fish-girl recoil back near the tail. When Yansee would come to, there would be a cannon's barrel trained right at her face, protruding out of the dragonhead-shaped shield. “What in Shune's asshole could cause a fish to stray into a fucking desert?” the Virangish inquired. “You've got three seconds to jump.”
Stars and darkness plagued her vision, the pain and force jostling her backwards. Her hands reactively brought themselves up to her nose as comfort, but quickly went back down to the dragons back to keep her aboard the meat vehicle.
“That’s okay Dear, don’t let her hit you though! Try again”
“Gaut eet pauppaup” opening her eyes again, she saw her second dragon head with a cannon birthing from it’s mouth, pointed straight at her, “Whut wazzat fou? Uu no uu ain vury nyce. Um eer four dis eer dwaagun an uu. Eym eer four cleen up”
Zarina squinted. What was this moonspeak? “What? Ears for a dragon, me and clean up?” patience ran thin when she had to think in such dire situations. It made her trigger finger all the more itchy. “One.”
The dragon took exception to having extra load on its back, especially if it was unknown to her. The reptile undulated its body in an attempt to expel what was on its back, while the dragon rider could just take to the air if she became collateral.
Nothing was really going her way, and the armored woman had little in regard to defragmenting what Yansee was trying to say. Again, the dragon shook attempting to whip the Eeaiko off the back of it. Yansee, not as nimble in the air as she was in the sea, lost her footing and ended up even closer to the back of the tail. With one second left, she searched for what word could get her to halt. “Weescaa”
Meanwhile, her father below searched for the temporal mage prepping him to either send him up or rally them to attack the dragon.
“Eh?” more nonsense. Certainly not enough for the threat to go away, but enough for Zarina to think. “What the Eshit is a Weescaa?”
“qeemets baus”
The dragon's swift movements allow it to take advantage of Zarina's temporal dilation and swiftly poise itself for a dive. Its target: The biggest threat of the group.
The colossal attack creates an absolute inferno below and the cazenax sorceror eats the brunt of it.
However, he emerges from the middle, scalded, his hair and top burnt away, but otherwise undamaged. As she watches, the hair regrows itself. He tilts her head and glares up at her.
“The boss?” Zarina growled, her attention now oriented to the incoming attacks. A prime opportunity for Yansee if she wanted to claim two nice prizes. “Where is that Weescaa, then?”
It was at around that moment that, in the direction of nearby dunes, that a horse and rider appeared, or... something like that anyhow. They were quickly sighted by the cazenax, though no moves had been made as of yet.
“Foe me too no an uu too fine owt, eef uu caan cach me” waving the girl bye after meagerly surviving the onslaught of the cazenax. Like a slick slug, she threw her weight to the side, propelling her off the side of the dragon leaving her to free fall. Her father, realizing what must have happened up top began to position himself to catch his daughter in her descent.
After a moment, however, three of the ambushers peeled off from the rest and made a beeline for what turned out to be Classa and... Tennaxi?
Zarina scoffed but didn't do much to protest the escape. Alqasas could intercept, but not without the risk of killing a useful source of information. One that stood out from the usual crowd, too. Instead, she sought to re-enforce her armour via binding the increasing sand clouds in the air and fastening this craggy layer of armour.
Cuimits, however, had not yet shown himself.
"Exi!" The bowman shouted. "Exi!" He was quick to shoot at the little centaur girl, but he underestimated both her speed and - most crucially - her agility, which was shockingly high.
She was upon him in moments, Tennaxi swinging off of her back and landing awkwardly - but unharmed - in the sand.
The child reared up and delivered a kick right into his chest. It crushed his breastplate and sent him sprawling backwards, coughing up blood. He lay there, badly wounded. “Yeah, that's right!” Classa taunted. “You... you stay away from my friends!”
Then, however, there were more serious threats.
An arcane lance leapt from a second attacker's hands to skewer her, but such was the girl's agility that she dodged it almost cleanly, only her tail getting singed. She continued to charge forward.
"Exi!" came the shouts. “Exi!”
The third attacker, however, did not target Classa, but rather her ally, who was sitting up in the sand, trying to dissuade the girl from doing anything stupid. A colossal gravitational smash came out of nowhere, and Tennaxi simply did not have the capacity to resist it. She found herself instantly flattened, multiple bones broken, and on the edge of unconsciousness. She let out a hissed shriek of pain.
Others were attacking Zarina as well - five of them.
Classa's berserker charge continues and the eyes of one of the cazenax widen.
The cazenax tries to dodge, but Classa is simply too agile.
She adjusts, midstep, and plows a kinetically enhanced punch straight through the man's visor.
It shatters on impact, along with his nose and the orbital of one of his eyes. Already wounded from earlier, he staggers backwards and collapses. Classa rears up to stamp on him and deliver a finisher.
Only the timely intervention of the second ambusher saves him, and her kinetic bash sends the girl sprawling away.
She is in a full-on rage at this point. "You killed Tennaxi!" she wails.
Zarina leapt from her dragon and landed a few meters before Tennaxi. Her massive shield-turned-gauntlet smashed into the sand and earth, expelling a large kinetic wave in the direction of the remaining assailant that struck the two little ones.
However, safe as that Cazenax may feel, they fail to notice the dragon landing right on top of it.
Buffeted backwards, the cazenax landed awkwardly, clutching her wrist and hissing in pain.
A combination of some chemical lubrication and a distracting arrow from the nearby bowman are enough for the dragon's target to slip away with only minor injuries. She was, however, not looking very good.
("Why are you here!?") she screamed in her native tongue. ("Why have you come to our village to kill our people and ruin our way of life!?")
This was the vilest of evils and they were all firmly resolved to fight it. They did not appear to have any other realistic option. This outsider had come from nowhere and seemed determined to not only interfere in their gods-given right to self-determination, but to kill them all for the sport of it.
Pauppaup searches for Cuimits
Yansee had been reluctant to join the fray of battle after being received by her father. Her plan had been foiled and now she knew not of who’s allegiance to take. Not one to seek to kill she sat on the sidelines in her original instruction to simply serve as clean up. She had fulfilled her task of retrieving or executing Cuimits seeing as he was still MIA. The entry of two new participants, one specifically, had caught her eye. The ability to reanimate the centaur girl would be an invaluable addition to her compendium of soldiers. Only proven upon her absolutely decimating the skull and chest of the cazenax in front of her. After the onslaught, against her better judgement, Yansee used her binding magics to grievously heal the cazenax back to full health. “Fysti that wun aye?”
He blinked and nodded grimly. "I'm in your debt for the heal, but what are you doing here, fish-girl?" He shook his head now. "You're no fighter and this isn't your fight. That dragon which is gonna kill you along with all of us, you know. She came out of nowhere just to attack us."
"Biyin time too fine nein fingurs, wee leaf aftur" taking solace in how respectful and caring the cazanax was.
"The boss is the target," her ally replied. "The dragon bitch wants him most of all." He shook his head. "I don't think he's coming out, not unless he's stupid."
The dragon folds its wings about itself protectively as gravity itself comes crashing in, hurling it into the ground.
It tumbles in the sand, kicking up a fantastic amount.
It lets out a groan and shakes itself off, favoring one wing slightly, but is otherwise unharmed by an attack that, by all rights, likely should've killed it.
The other cazenax, rising in the sand besdie Yansee, tries to launch a series of sharp blood magic needles at Classa. They scream through the air, arcing and twisting after the girl, but she leaps three and cleanly dodges the last one.
Classa came to a stop and backed up a few steps nervously. She had just seen a man completely erased. People were trying to kill her. They had killed Tennaxi and even hurt Zarina's big dragon.
She shook her head, stunned, on the precipice of losing her nerve.
The dragon, face-to-face with the Cazenax Warlock, opted to simply obliterate the enemy by spewing flames.
The flames, however, were cleanly drawn away and absorbed by his quick thinking.
Classa recovered her nerve at just that moment, coming hurtling in at the warlock.
He took all of the flame he had absorbed from the dragon and redirected it at the girl.
She sprung away and darted to the side, skidding in the sand, unharmed by virtue of quick reflexes.
Tennaxi to regain consciousness.
The magic that tethered Yansee to her father had allowed her to discover that he had not found Cuimits yet. Seeing the Cazenax fight back and just knock Tennaxi unconscious, the odds were beginning to go toward the favor of the hired band. Time was essential for her to continue her search, perhaps if she found Cuimits and could talk down Zarina she could have her cake and eat it too. And so, the “fish”-girl ran over to the injured girl and completely healed her keeping her unconscious.
His attempt to surprise her from behind was thwarted, for such was the child's speed and jumpiness.
"Why are you here!?" he screamed. "Why are you doing this!?"
Of course, it was all in cazenax and none of it was understood.
His protests, however, were cut off by the dragon. It ripped him from the ground and tore him to pieces.
Another one of these people who dared to oppose its master dead.
Tennaxi managed to come to, shaking the sand out of her hair. She beheld the devastation around her, and her eyes widened. “Wh-what happened here?” She scooted back a few 'steps'.
“Hmmm?” Zarina flinched. Tennaxi was healed? “You're fine.” she remarked, shield still up and protecting both her and the legless Cazenax. “Good.” no time to think of the why, there was still work to do.
The temporal mage could see the writing on the wall. They had been overconfident. They had burned with rage and vengeance, trying to rid the world of this evil that had come to destroy them instead of being satisfied with causing it to run. How they should have followed the creed! You survive, first and foremost. That is paramount. They would all die because of this in that monster's hands. They would and he knew it. He reached out for the threads of space and time...
It was not enough.
He could not bring them back. He could not rewind it until before the mistake had been made. Instead, he created a small portal. "I have failed you, my people. I am sorry." He hung his head. "My love, into the breach!" His wife, who had stood dutifully by his side this fight, who had been wounded multiple times, "This fish is no ally of ours anyhow. Look how she abuses the VOID."
He and the remaining cazenax attempted to flee through the portal.
Zarina did not, the dragon was about to come until she whistled it down.
With that, they disappeared through the portal. "It tried, my love, but we have made it."
“Eshi.” grunted Zarina, ass on a pile of sand with more unusually heavy sediments befalling her. Instinctively, she rolled down the cone to get closer to one of the alcoves, helm back on and quickly trying to not succumb to panic. The sand at least offered cover from the majority of the alcoves occupied by hostiles, but now she had to face those behind her, shield at a ready.
The dragon flailed in fear and rage. The sand was not going to keep it still for long as it immediate flapped its wings, causing a whirlwind of sand to cover the whole 'arena' while it tried to ascend. The sand, however, was immensely heavy and it was solidly half-buried. For all that froabases were large and impressive creatures, they were lightly built out of necessity for flying. Getting free would be a struggle. Much as Zarina tried to extricate herself and Alqasas thrashed with all of its might, the sands were hungry and closing in. Yet, it wasn't all natural. Someone was pushing against their efforts - someone strong and versed in magic. The struggle was desperate but - by the barest of margins - Alqasas broke free. Was it time to escape or time to fight? The assassin's darts strike true, piercing the gaps between the scales and puncturing the froabas' hide right in front of its wings. The magnificent beast cries out in pain and anger. “This is bullshit!” growled Zarina, doused in heavy sands and narrowly avoiding turning into a crispy afterthought to the assailants. There were ten enemies, four of which had shown themselves to be unusually dangerous. Meanwhile she was stuck in the middle of it with her dragon unable to take flight. “Alqasas!” she called for her wounded dragon, but it was no use. The beast was enraged and definitely confused. “Fuck.”
Desperate, Zarina dashed through the line of fire and straddled her flailing beast at her own peril. The Froabas never truly calmed, but the familiarity of its mother-figure did provide enough structure for it to consider its only viable option: Up. Withstanding the unnatural sands, the majestic creature clung to the stony surface and ascended. Many efforts were made to stop Zarina and her alpha steed’s escape, but ultimately the sheer power and speed of the animal were still formidable even when bound to the earth. With swift hops to freedom, the dragon pierced through and took to the sky.
“Oraff you sweet sweet dove!” celebrated the pumped up Virangish as Alqasas drilled into the air and picked up speeds that few creatures of such size could contest. The two girls circled the village from a “safe” altitude. “There goes the info. Eshit, that was a terrible idea.” she clenched one of the protruding back-scales of her dragon as she directed her to progressively create distance from the village. “Sorry, baby. This is all on me.” she peered at the beast’s wing and noticed the hurting it had taken. Guilt and responsibility filled her, prompting Zarina to call upon her knowledge of temporal magic and mend the damaged wing.
The motley crew of sorts were no match for the power of the dragon and its tamer. Yansee did not have the proper resources, bodies, to be able to tether the woman to her sandy grave. Tried as she might to stay on her tail, the gauntlet mercenary had slipped through her fingers and took flight. Her eye still set on the dragon as her bounty moved something within her that normally would have laid dormant. A sense of yearning for something other than her goal. Snapping her fingers, she pointed at the talented temporal cazenak, then gestured her finger upward. It didn’t take long for him to realize her strategy and acquiesce. In a blip, Yansee was in the air, hurtling towards the back of the dragon in her best chances and a bag of bones on the floor in her worst outcome. She could feel the presence of her dotting father boosting her mid-air alacrity, allowing her to land squarely behind Zarina on the back of her dragon.
Tapping her on the shoulder, she sheepishly asked, “Eye theenk wee cood tawck aubew this”
A temporal ripple was sensed - Zarina knew what was coming. Behind her! The poor Eeaiko barely had time to make her introduction before eating the back of Zarina's helm to the face. Nothing too hard, but enough to have the fish-girl recoil back near the tail. When Yansee would come to, there would be a cannon's barrel trained right at her face, protruding out of the dragonhead-shaped shield. “What in Shune's asshole could cause a fish to stray into a fucking desert?” the Virangish inquired. “You've got three seconds to jump.”
Stars and darkness plagued her vision, the pain and force jostling her backwards. Her hands reactively brought themselves up to her nose as comfort, but quickly went back down to the dragons back to keep her aboard the meat vehicle.
“That’s okay Dear, don’t let her hit you though! Try again”
“Gaut eet pauppaup” opening her eyes again, she saw her second dragon head with a cannon birthing from it’s mouth, pointed straight at her, “Whut wazzat fou? Uu no uu ain vury nyce. Um eer four dis eer dwaagun an uu. Eym eer four cleen up”
Zarina squinted. What was this moonspeak? “What? Ears for a dragon, me and clean up?” patience ran thin when she had to think in such dire situations. It made her trigger finger all the more itchy. “One.”
The dragon took exception to having extra load on its back, especially if it was unknown to her. The reptile undulated its body in an attempt to expel what was on its back, while the dragon rider could just take to the air if she became collateral.
Nothing was really going her way, and the armored woman had little in regard to defragmenting what Yansee was trying to say. Again, the dragon shook attempting to whip the Eeaiko off the back of it. Yansee, not as nimble in the air as she was in the sea, lost her footing and ended up even closer to the back of the tail. With one second left, she searched for what word could get her to halt. “Weescaa”
Meanwhile, her father below searched for the temporal mage prepping him to either send him up or rally them to attack the dragon.
“Eh?” more nonsense. Certainly not enough for the threat to go away, but enough for Zarina to think. “What the Eshit is a Weescaa?”
“qeemets baus”
The dragon's swift movements allow it to take advantage of Zarina's temporal dilation and swiftly poise itself for a dive. Its target: The biggest threat of the group.
The colossal attack creates an absolute inferno below and the cazenax sorceror eats the brunt of it.
However, he emerges from the middle, scalded, his hair and top burnt away, but otherwise undamaged. As she watches, the hair regrows itself. He tilts her head and glares up at her.
“The boss?” Zarina growled, her attention now oriented to the incoming attacks. A prime opportunity for Yansee if she wanted to claim two nice prizes. “Where is that Weescaa, then?”
It was at around that moment that, in the direction of nearby dunes, that a horse and rider appeared, or... something like that anyhow. They were quickly sighted by the cazenax, though no moves had been made as of yet.
“Foe me too no an uu too fine owt, eef uu caan cach me” waving the girl bye after meagerly surviving the onslaught of the cazenax. Like a slick slug, she threw her weight to the side, propelling her off the side of the dragon leaving her to free fall. Her father, realizing what must have happened up top began to position himself to catch his daughter in her descent.
After a moment, however, three of the ambushers peeled off from the rest and made a beeline for what turned out to be Classa and... Tennaxi?
Zarina scoffed but didn't do much to protest the escape. Alqasas could intercept, but not without the risk of killing a useful source of information. One that stood out from the usual crowd, too. Instead, she sought to re-enforce her armour via binding the increasing sand clouds in the air and fastening this craggy layer of armour.
Cuimits, however, had not yet shown himself.
"Exi!" The bowman shouted. "Exi!" He was quick to shoot at the little centaur girl, but he underestimated both her speed and - most crucially - her agility, which was shockingly high.
She was upon him in moments, Tennaxi swinging off of her back and landing awkwardly - but unharmed - in the sand.
The child reared up and delivered a kick right into his chest. It crushed his breastplate and sent him sprawling backwards, coughing up blood. He lay there, badly wounded. “Yeah, that's right!” Classa taunted. “You... you stay away from my friends!”
Then, however, there were more serious threats.
An arcane lance leapt from a second attacker's hands to skewer her, but such was the girl's agility that she dodged it almost cleanly, only her tail getting singed. She continued to charge forward.
"Exi!" came the shouts. “Exi!”
The third attacker, however, did not target Classa, but rather her ally, who was sitting up in the sand, trying to dissuade the girl from doing anything stupid. A colossal gravitational smash came out of nowhere, and Tennaxi simply did not have the capacity to resist it. She found herself instantly flattened, multiple bones broken, and on the edge of unconsciousness. She let out a hissed shriek of pain.
Others were attacking Zarina as well - five of them.
Classa's berserker charge continues and the eyes of one of the cazenax widen.
The cazenax tries to dodge, but Classa is simply too agile.
She adjusts, midstep, and plows a kinetically enhanced punch straight through the man's visor.
It shatters on impact, along with his nose and the orbital of one of his eyes. Already wounded from earlier, he staggers backwards and collapses. Classa rears up to stamp on him and deliver a finisher.
Only the timely intervention of the second ambusher saves him, and her kinetic bash sends the girl sprawling away.
She is in a full-on rage at this point. "You killed Tennaxi!" she wails.
Zarina leapt from her dragon and landed a few meters before Tennaxi. Her massive shield-turned-gauntlet smashed into the sand and earth, expelling a large kinetic wave in the direction of the remaining assailant that struck the two little ones.
However, safe as that Cazenax may feel, they fail to notice the dragon landing right on top of it.
Buffeted backwards, the cazenax landed awkwardly, clutching her wrist and hissing in pain.
A combination of some chemical lubrication and a distracting arrow from the nearby bowman are enough for the dragon's target to slip away with only minor injuries. She was, however, not looking very good.
("Why are you here!?") she screamed in her native tongue. ("Why have you come to our village to kill our people and ruin our way of life!?")
This was the vilest of evils and they were all firmly resolved to fight it. They did not appear to have any other realistic option. This outsider had come from nowhere and seemed determined to not only interfere in their gods-given right to self-determination, but to kill them all for the sport of it.
Pauppaup searches for Cuimits
Yansee had been reluctant to join the fray of battle after being received by her father. Her plan had been foiled and now she knew not of who’s allegiance to take. Not one to seek to kill she sat on the sidelines in her original instruction to simply serve as clean up. She had fulfilled her task of retrieving or executing Cuimits seeing as he was still MIA. The entry of two new participants, one specifically, had caught her eye. The ability to reanimate the centaur girl would be an invaluable addition to her compendium of soldiers. Only proven upon her absolutely decimating the skull and chest of the cazenax in front of her. After the onslaught, against her better judgement, Yansee used her binding magics to grievously heal the cazenax back to full health. “Fysti that wun aye?”
He blinked and nodded grimly. "I'm in your debt for the heal, but what are you doing here, fish-girl?" He shook his head now. "You're no fighter and this isn't your fight. That dragon which is gonna kill you along with all of us, you know. She came out of nowhere just to attack us."
"Biyin time too fine nein fingurs, wee leaf aftur" taking solace in how respectful and caring the cazanax was.
"The boss is the target," her ally replied. "The dragon bitch wants him most of all." He shook his head. "I don't think he's coming out, not unless he's stupid."
The dragon folds its wings about itself protectively as gravity itself comes crashing in, hurling it into the ground.
It tumbles in the sand, kicking up a fantastic amount.
It lets out a groan and shakes itself off, favoring one wing slightly, but is otherwise unharmed by an attack that, by all rights, likely should've killed it.
The other cazenax, rising in the sand besdie Yansee, tries to launch a series of sharp blood magic needles at Classa. They scream through the air, arcing and twisting after the girl, but she leaps three and cleanly dodges the last one.
Classa came to a stop and backed up a few steps nervously. She had just seen a man completely erased. People were trying to kill her. They had killed Tennaxi and even hurt Zarina's big dragon.
She shook her head, stunned, on the precipice of losing her nerve.
The dragon, face-to-face with the Cazenax Warlock, opted to simply obliterate the enemy by spewing flames.
The flames, however, were cleanly drawn away and absorbed by his quick thinking.
Classa recovered her nerve at just that moment, coming hurtling in at the warlock.
He took all of the flame he had absorbed from the dragon and redirected it at the girl.
She sprung away and darted to the side, skidding in the sand, unharmed by virtue of quick reflexes.
Tennaxi to regain consciousness.
The magic that tethered Yansee to her father had allowed her to discover that he had not found Cuimits yet. Seeing the Cazenax fight back and just knock Tennaxi unconscious, the odds were beginning to go toward the favor of the hired band. Time was essential for her to continue her search, perhaps if she found Cuimits and could talk down Zarina she could have her cake and eat it too. And so, the “fish”-girl ran over to the injured girl and completely healed her keeping her unconscious.
His attempt to surprise her from behind was thwarted, for such was the child's speed and jumpiness.
"Why are you here!?" he screamed. "Why are you doing this!?"
Of course, it was all in cazenax and none of it was understood.
His protests, however, were cut off by the dragon. It ripped him from the ground and tore him to pieces.
Another one of these people who dared to oppose its master dead.
Tennaxi managed to come to, shaking the sand out of her hair. She beheld the devastation around her, and her eyes widened. “Wh-what happened here?” She scooted back a few 'steps'.
“Hmmm?” Zarina flinched. Tennaxi was healed? “You're fine.” she remarked, shield still up and protecting both her and the legless Cazenax. “Good.” no time to think of the why, there was still work to do.
The temporal mage could see the writing on the wall. They had been overconfident. They had burned with rage and vengeance, trying to rid the world of this evil that had come to destroy them instead of being satisfied with causing it to run. How they should have followed the creed! You survive, first and foremost. That is paramount. They would all die because of this in that monster's hands. They would and he knew it. He reached out for the threads of space and time...
It was not enough.
He could not bring them back. He could not rewind it until before the mistake had been made. Instead, he created a small portal. "I have failed you, my people. I am sorry." He hung his head. "My love, into the breach!" His wife, who had stood dutifully by his side this fight, who had been wounded multiple times, "This fish is no ally of ours anyhow. Look how she abuses the VOID."
He and the remaining cazenax attempted to flee through the portal.
Zarina did not, the dragon was about to come until she whistled it down.
With that, they disappeared through the portal. "It tried, my love, but we have made it."
He collapsed in the sand, some miles away. "I am so very sorry. We should have laid low." He shook his head. "Fear not. Our day will come."
Cuimits, meanwhile, were being pursued by multiple parties now. He was not so foolish as to believe that any were allies.
He turned and launched a dark bolt at once.
Cuimits go down to the ground, thrashign, flailing, and shouting expletives.
He is closing in on his home.
Two small heads peer cautiously out the window.
However, daddy will not be coming home today,
or ever again.
Classa catches up.
Zarina catches up.
“Oi.” hollered Zarina to the Cuimits hunters. “What are you doing with him?” the dragon hovered over them, casting a massive shadow and dousing the earthlings with constant gusts of air.
Yansee also made it there, though she'd lost control of the zombie for a moment, and it fell somewhat behind.
Cuimits' two children had run over as well.
"Zag!" cried Cazan. "Zag, cixist molmo zoan ax!" wept Cazéa. They hung around just outside of range, radiating fear, watching with wide eyes.
Cuimits turned to Yansee. “Well then, what are you waiting for?” he demanded. “Do it.” Even bound as he was in Pauppaup's arms, he managed to straighten.
Classa's eyes dart over to the other, younger, children.
It's clear that the world has just become a far more frightening and complex place to her young mind than it was but a day earlier.
This man - their father - tried to kill her.
But they're so small, and so sad.
And she does not know how to feel.
Unbidden, the girl begins crying.
Tennaxi to intervene, she does not. By the narrowest of margins, Yansee's attempt to execute Cuimits was thwarted.
Pauppaup's teeth rattle and chomp.
He's physically wrenched free, though, a look of disappointment evident on his reanimated face.
Cuimits shout at his children in cazenax and they cry.
Hesitantly, they start to back up.
He shouts again.
They turn and run.
He glares at Zarina. “I guess you have me,” he admits, free of Pauppaup's grasp.
“You know everyone in this village is dead if I speak.” His eyes are unflinching. “Congratulations. Looks like you followed through on your threat.”
For Yansee, he has no words. She is one of Wesca's playthings and a dark mage at that.
Zarina regarded Cuimits after evicting the Eeaiko. Or at least part of it. It took a second for her to realize she was holding the man's head. Mortified, she tossed the moving and talking head in a panic. “From what sore of Eshiran's blazing asshole did you fucks all sprout from?!” the body was kicked off to join the head that had rolled a good few yards away.
Cuimits were free and defeated. There was no need to pin such a man anymore. A panting Zarina regarded him and leaned forward, hands on her knees. She was so tired. No sleep. Constantly on the move. This was taking a toll on this chronic insomniac. “Not-” she exhaled and cleared her throat. “Not if I get these shitheads first.” she retorted confidently. A suspicious eye peered toward the direction of her dragon and the other Eeaiko, likely the author of these dreadful corpse that moved. “Weescaa, or whatever. Your boss. “Is that the person you’re afraid of?” she straightened herself after taking a few breaths, guarded and ready for any surprises.
He let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Ah!” The head bandit ran his hands down his face in desperate exasperation. “Ahaha! Aha... Oh Gods, so we're already dead.” It was tinged with hints of madness. He was coming apart at the edges and seemed to resign himself, then. “It's not her. It's her boss, and you'll kill me before I say a thing. My children are Nax, like their ancestors before them. They will struggle without me, but they will survive, as I did.”
Try as she might, her and her newly rectified super zombie were unable to prevent the attempts of the dragon rider and crew to prevent her from accomplishing her task. Perhaps it was in her better interest to allow the girl to die from the aid of her once cazenax allegiance. Pauppaup’s head was thrown in the air like a ball in some game with nets. Yansee yelled and serpentine back and forth in anticipation of catching her father’s head. He safely landed in her embrace and so she pressed his detached head to her cheek and rubbed lovingly, “Aw pau wen foor a lil ryde u deed”. Pauppaup's corpse had propped itself up and by magnetic compulsion trekked back to the head. Cuitmits on the other hand was beginning to turn on her in defiance to death.
A bit annoyed, she scoffed and tucked Pauppaup’s head under her arm and headed over to the girl with the giant gauntlet. “Tieurd? Eye gots the same enfo as im. Leet me keel im an eye geev uu whut uu waana know.” Pauppaup cleared his throat, “Right on Keelee, but perhaps let Pauppaup speak to these ones, my tongue is more familiar to theirs”
Meanwhile, Cuimits buried his face in his hands. His chest heaved and he swallowed.
Zarina frowned at the burst of laughter from Cuimits. He stood his ground, and yet had given some information she could work with. The boss of the boss. And from what the corpse-gatherer was saying, this Wesca had multiple people in her pockets.
“What's the point of exacting an assassination for someone I'm about to close the walls on, hmm?” she regarded the Eeaiko still, but then focused back onto Cuimits. “I get it.” then, her eyes went to Classa, and the kids that raw away. “Take your family and friends, and leave. Things are going to get messy very soon. And now I have a name.” she sighed.
Alqasas did not budge as a barrier between her mistress and the perceived threats. In more than one instance did she unleash a steaming roar that nearly lifted those close enough off their feet.
”At least give us something off his persons to give to Wesca, like a tooth or an eyeball” Pauppaup chipped in. There wasn’t much foot to stand on against a husking dragon and the three others facing them.
“Eight fingers as a new identity. Heh.”
He stood, then, swaying. He shook his head. “What a cactus' hug,” he coughed, swallowing once more. “It's too late. Take whatever you like. The children are doomed anyhow. You have...” He swayed again, dramatically. “have no... idea what you're up against.” He staggered to the side and collapsed. His eyes were fast turning bloodshot. He foamed at the mouth.
“Oh fuck no.” Zarina reached out for Cuimits' shoulder to get the inter chem going faster. “Not when you got a family, asshole.”
"Bit saad ain et Pauppaup?"
"Aye, a father would do anything for his kids. Including me"
"Aww. Wee bee kneedin tha fynga"
Cuimits simply lay there in the sand, waiting for death. It did not come. It would, of course, arrive at the hands of the mastermind. He knew it, though these outsiders did not understand. They had only doomed his family even more.
His children raced out to his side. "Molmo!" they shouted. "Molmo!" He groaned. “I thought I told you to stay back!” That blasted dark mage was closing in on him.
Something sparked inside of him, then: anger.
Hadn't they taken enough, these outsiders?
Now this one wanted a finger as if it was something to just be given away?
He stood and sneered.
Morning was well underway and the desert wind blew hot and sandy. He stroked Cazan's and Cazéa's heads, one with each hand. “Papa will be fine,” he assured them. Then, to Yansee: “Come on, then, you wicked thing. Come take from me what your master has ordered.”
He began to draw the latent heat of the desert.
There was, on Cuimits' person, precisely one valuable item: a gympsum pendant, rare and precious, carved with the crest of his house - ancient but poor. Yansee had been around the cazenax long enough to recognize it for what it was. The head of each household generally had one - or at least each noble household.
As much as she wanted the finger, she knew the dragon and the woman would do everything in their way to prevent her from causing any bodily harm to the nihilistic cazenax. Gritting her teeth and the prospect of ending up having to return with nothing to show for it was gnawing at her. That is when she noticed the gympsum pendant. “Tell em pauppaup” she barked, “Miss, if you’re not going to let us take something off of him, why not let us walk away with that pendant he’s got on him?”
“I'm right here...” Cuimits remarked, regarding Yansee.
An unimpressed Zarina pivoted to the side to let these two parties discuss it. She was going to arbitrate violence and murder, but non-living things were another matter she cared little for.
There was a surge of VOID energy behind them and, for a moment, their attention may have been drawn. Tennaxi appeared behind them, then, walking on...legs. They were pitch black and translucent and seemed to bleed darkness into the air around her, but they were... functional. She was, in any event, actually somewhat tall for a cazenax.
With the eeaiko not so much as even acknowledging him or his words, Cuimits turned to leave.
”Oi wear yu think yur gooin? Eef yur dead aneeway, tha peendeent wheel buy yu time ore yur life” shouting at the cazenax who had turned his back and began to walk. Pauppaup’s body grabbed his head from Yansee’s grip and placed it back on his neck snapping it into place. She’s right you know. The significance of that pendant would do well to make sure she doesn’t come back to find you or enough time for us to sort this out if that’s what this woman wants. Think of your children as I know you do. Father to father.”
Cuimits twisted as he walked. He shook his head, about to respond with his pride. Then, however, he let out a deep sigh, ripped the necklace and its chain free of his neck, and tossed it into the shifting sands. This, then, was the creed. This was what he had to do and it would likely end in an even more horrible death for him and his loved ones, but perhaps - just maybe - it gave them a chance.
Cuimits, meanwhile, were being pursued by multiple parties now. He was not so foolish as to believe that any were allies.
He turned and launched a dark bolt at once.
Cuimits go down to the ground, thrashign, flailing, and shouting expletives.
He is closing in on his home.
Two small heads peer cautiously out the window.
However, daddy will not be coming home today,
or ever again.
Classa catches up.
Zarina catches up.
“Oi.” hollered Zarina to the Cuimits hunters. “What are you doing with him?” the dragon hovered over them, casting a massive shadow and dousing the earthlings with constant gusts of air.
Yansee also made it there, though she'd lost control of the zombie for a moment, and it fell somewhat behind.
Cuimits' two children had run over as well.
"Zag!" cried Cazan. "Zag, cixist molmo zoan ax!" wept Cazéa. They hung around just outside of range, radiating fear, watching with wide eyes.
Cuimits turned to Yansee. “Well then, what are you waiting for?” he demanded. “Do it.” Even bound as he was in Pauppaup's arms, he managed to straighten.
Classa's eyes dart over to the other, younger, children.
It's clear that the world has just become a far more frightening and complex place to her young mind than it was but a day earlier.
This man - their father - tried to kill her.
But they're so small, and so sad.
And she does not know how to feel.
Unbidden, the girl begins crying.
Tennaxi to intervene, she does not. By the narrowest of margins, Yansee's attempt to execute Cuimits was thwarted.
Pauppaup's teeth rattle and chomp.
He's physically wrenched free, though, a look of disappointment evident on his reanimated face.
Cuimits shout at his children in cazenax and they cry.
Hesitantly, they start to back up.
He shouts again.
They turn and run.
He glares at Zarina. “I guess you have me,” he admits, free of Pauppaup's grasp.
“You know everyone in this village is dead if I speak.” His eyes are unflinching. “Congratulations. Looks like you followed through on your threat.”
For Yansee, he has no words. She is one of Wesca's playthings and a dark mage at that.
Zarina regarded Cuimits after evicting the Eeaiko. Or at least part of it. It took a second for her to realize she was holding the man's head. Mortified, she tossed the moving and talking head in a panic. “From what sore of Eshiran's blazing asshole did you fucks all sprout from?!” the body was kicked off to join the head that had rolled a good few yards away.
Cuimits were free and defeated. There was no need to pin such a man anymore. A panting Zarina regarded him and leaned forward, hands on her knees. She was so tired. No sleep. Constantly on the move. This was taking a toll on this chronic insomniac. “Not-” she exhaled and cleared her throat. “Not if I get these shitheads first.” she retorted confidently. A suspicious eye peered toward the direction of her dragon and the other Eeaiko, likely the author of these dreadful corpse that moved. “Weescaa, or whatever. Your boss. “Is that the person you’re afraid of?” she straightened herself after taking a few breaths, guarded and ready for any surprises.
He let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Ah!” The head bandit ran his hands down his face in desperate exasperation. “Ahaha! Aha... Oh Gods, so we're already dead.” It was tinged with hints of madness. He was coming apart at the edges and seemed to resign himself, then. “It's not her. It's her boss, and you'll kill me before I say a thing. My children are Nax, like their ancestors before them. They will struggle without me, but they will survive, as I did.”
Try as she might, her and her newly rectified super zombie were unable to prevent the attempts of the dragon rider and crew to prevent her from accomplishing her task. Perhaps it was in her better interest to allow the girl to die from the aid of her once cazenax allegiance. Pauppaup’s head was thrown in the air like a ball in some game with nets. Yansee yelled and serpentine back and forth in anticipation of catching her father’s head. He safely landed in her embrace and so she pressed his detached head to her cheek and rubbed lovingly, “Aw pau wen foor a lil ryde u deed”. Pauppaup's corpse had propped itself up and by magnetic compulsion trekked back to the head. Cuitmits on the other hand was beginning to turn on her in defiance to death.
A bit annoyed, she scoffed and tucked Pauppaup’s head under her arm and headed over to the girl with the giant gauntlet. “Tieurd? Eye gots the same enfo as im. Leet me keel im an eye geev uu whut uu waana know.” Pauppaup cleared his throat, “Right on Keelee, but perhaps let Pauppaup speak to these ones, my tongue is more familiar to theirs”
Meanwhile, Cuimits buried his face in his hands. His chest heaved and he swallowed.
Zarina frowned at the burst of laughter from Cuimits. He stood his ground, and yet had given some information she could work with. The boss of the boss. And from what the corpse-gatherer was saying, this Wesca had multiple people in her pockets.
“What's the point of exacting an assassination for someone I'm about to close the walls on, hmm?” she regarded the Eeaiko still, but then focused back onto Cuimits. “I get it.” then, her eyes went to Classa, and the kids that raw away. “Take your family and friends, and leave. Things are going to get messy very soon. And now I have a name.” she sighed.
Alqasas did not budge as a barrier between her mistress and the perceived threats. In more than one instance did she unleash a steaming roar that nearly lifted those close enough off their feet.
”At least give us something off his persons to give to Wesca, like a tooth or an eyeball” Pauppaup chipped in. There wasn’t much foot to stand on against a husking dragon and the three others facing them.
“Eight fingers as a new identity. Heh.”
He stood, then, swaying. He shook his head. “What a cactus' hug,” he coughed, swallowing once more. “It's too late. Take whatever you like. The children are doomed anyhow. You have...” He swayed again, dramatically. “have no... idea what you're up against.” He staggered to the side and collapsed. His eyes were fast turning bloodshot. He foamed at the mouth.
“Oh fuck no.” Zarina reached out for Cuimits' shoulder to get the inter chem going faster. “Not when you got a family, asshole.”
"Bit saad ain et Pauppaup?"
"Aye, a father would do anything for his kids. Including me"
"Aww. Wee bee kneedin tha fynga"
Cuimits simply lay there in the sand, waiting for death. It did not come. It would, of course, arrive at the hands of the mastermind. He knew it, though these outsiders did not understand. They had only doomed his family even more.
His children raced out to his side. "Molmo!" they shouted. "Molmo!" He groaned. “I thought I told you to stay back!” That blasted dark mage was closing in on him.
Something sparked inside of him, then: anger.
Hadn't they taken enough, these outsiders?
Now this one wanted a finger as if it was something to just be given away?
He stood and sneered.
Morning was well underway and the desert wind blew hot and sandy. He stroked Cazan's and Cazéa's heads, one with each hand. “Papa will be fine,” he assured them. Then, to Yansee: “Come on, then, you wicked thing. Come take from me what your master has ordered.”
He began to draw the latent heat of the desert.
There was, on Cuimits' person, precisely one valuable item: a gympsum pendant, rare and precious, carved with the crest of his house - ancient but poor. Yansee had been around the cazenax long enough to recognize it for what it was. The head of each household generally had one - or at least each noble household.
As much as she wanted the finger, she knew the dragon and the woman would do everything in their way to prevent her from causing any bodily harm to the nihilistic cazenax. Gritting her teeth and the prospect of ending up having to return with nothing to show for it was gnawing at her. That is when she noticed the gympsum pendant. “Tell em pauppaup” she barked, “Miss, if you’re not going to let us take something off of him, why not let us walk away with that pendant he’s got on him?”
“I'm right here...” Cuimits remarked, regarding Yansee.
An unimpressed Zarina pivoted to the side to let these two parties discuss it. She was going to arbitrate violence and murder, but non-living things were another matter she cared little for.
There was a surge of VOID energy behind them and, for a moment, their attention may have been drawn. Tennaxi appeared behind them, then, walking on...legs. They were pitch black and translucent and seemed to bleed darkness into the air around her, but they were... functional. She was, in any event, actually somewhat tall for a cazenax.
With the eeaiko not so much as even acknowledging him or his words, Cuimits turned to leave.
”Oi wear yu think yur gooin? Eef yur dead aneeway, tha peendeent wheel buy yu time ore yur life” shouting at the cazenax who had turned his back and began to walk. Pauppaup’s body grabbed his head from Yansee’s grip and placed it back on his neck snapping it into place. She’s right you know. The significance of that pendant would do well to make sure she doesn’t come back to find you or enough time for us to sort this out if that’s what this woman wants. Think of your children as I know you do. Father to father.”
Cuimits twisted as he walked. He shook his head, about to respond with his pride. Then, however, he let out a deep sigh, ripped the necklace and its chain free of his neck, and tossed it into the shifting sands. This, then, was the creed. This was what he had to do and it would likely end in an even more horrible death for him and his loved ones, but perhaps - just maybe - it gave them a chance.
Meanwhile, as things had seemingly cooled off, Zarina walked over to the sniffling Classa, extended a careful arm toward the poor girl and levelled with her. “You saved me, you know that?” she flashed a smile at the distressed child. “I'm sorry you had to see more of that ugliness. I really didn't want to bring anyone else into this.”
Pauppaup breathed a sigh of relief, not that he needed to breathe since he was dead. Yansee grinned as well, not bothering to utter another word letting Cuimits leave with his back turned to all that had happened there. She shuffled past the dragon who gave her a weary look and scooped the pendant off the static sands. She admired the radiance it had and quickly tucked it in her pocket. Her mission met it's parameters and now she could go on about her life once more. That was unless the dragonknight had any thing to say about it. "Eym leevin now, tha awlrite with yu? Deez liips aur seeled! Unless yu got sumtin fo me?"
Classa sniffed and tried to make a brave face. She wrung her hands awkwardly, looking down at her hooves before looking back up. Then, the kid shrugged. “I know you didn't it's just...” She trailed off and sniffed again - a big one where you could really hear the boogers, where you could feel them. “I kind of wish none of it had happened, you know?” She glanced over at Zarina guiltily before hastily amending her statement. “I'm glad you're okay, though.” She twisted to regard to Tennaxi, who was striding up behind. “And you too.” She turned on her rears and darted over, enfolding the cazenax in a hug. “I thought you were dead, you know. You looked dead!”
Tennaxi laughed faintly. “Felt like it too.” She scratched at the back of her head and cast about, finding Classa to translate, and that seemed to perk the kid up. “Looks like I owe you again,” she addressed Zarina through her interpreter. “Thanks for healing me.” She shook her head. “Someday, I swear I won't be such a snarling fox.”
Zarina really wanted to hold the kid, but her crispy and bloodied armour wasn't prime hug material. Instead, she ruffled Classa's hair. The helm came off, letting Zazzy's sweaty hair breath out of the confinement they were frequently trapped into the last few days. Then Tennaxi and her demon legs was addressed, and her unlikely survival underlined by the centaur. “Heh, it was nothing, but-” at first she confused protecting with healing. But it eventually hit her. “I didn't heal you, though. They were suppressing me hard trying to shoot you down.” the Virangish knight confessed.
Attention fell onto Keelee. “Wait.” if Zarina's call wasn't answered, the dragon wasn't exactly keen on letting prey get away so easily. The only reason the massive reptile didn't pounce was the silent gesturing of her mother. “What is your deal? You try to mog me with these people, and then try to talk, and then help them again, and then help me, only to try and kill your associate here. With strange company, no less.” A glare was shot at the 'fresh' zombie. She opened her arms in an exaggerated shrug, head shaking in clear confusion. “What in Dami's righteous judgement drives you here?”
”Hey! I’m no strange company I’m her father I’ll have you know” her father remarked, ”The absolute nerve of some people. No manners at all.” Yansee moved her fingers, shutting her father’s mouth for just a moment. A bunch of muffled groans could be heard behind inaudible speech. ”Eye wus sen on a mishon to cleen up. Mayke me puppets with potenshell four a zombie dragoon. Et wus yu or em, eym not a killa, so eye elped yu bof” trying her best to enunciate.
The man spoke eloquently enough. Unsettling as he was, his ability to talk was value. Then came the living fish-girl's answer, which prompted a scowl from the dragonknight. “You wanted to kill and use my girl, huh?” she took a step forward to close the gap between the Eeaiko and herself. “You're not quite well up there, aren't you?” Yansee's personal bubble was invaded, although they weren't at nose-touching distance quite yet. “Hmph. I guess I owe you for helping Tennaxi, at least. So tell me about this Wesca person.” she crossed her arms under her chest and sighed. “And then you'll show me where to find that person.”
”Up wear?” pointing to her skull, ”Up ere? Eye think tha deepends on oo yu ask” laughing a bit, but covering her mouth as the dragonknight drew very close to her. Yu smell noice, Eye dun talk to er much. She gots erself ay fancee hoosban. Lives en a fancee haus. Danegerus, powaaful, rich. Wha eye get ef eye show yu? Sides my lyfe?”
Zarina stood her ground, but showed visible discomfort when sniffed. She was holding back on just flicking the girl. “One of these elites the others were talking about.” she muttered. Her long, metal claws protruding out of her massive gauntlet drummed over the platinum scales on her bicep. “Your life, and I don't burn him.” she pointed right at the daddy with her chin. “If shit hits the fan, you can take the rich people garbage they have laying around.” then, she paused, having learned something from today's mess. “Not before I find my friends, though. So, we'll just be scouting. I assume these rich cunts are in An Zenui?”
There was little negotiation room and a very slim chance the hulking monster clad in armor would allow Yansee to leave without suffering great loss. Yansee sighed and let out an annoyed growl after stomping her feet a bit. ”Aur all off yu this relentlyss?”. Her pauppaup winced in fear and covered his face and some of his body, but mostly his face. Fyn fyn jus gib me an pauppaup a ryd ther an we show yu. Let me tawk tu er firs, so eye can get me reward an gib er this pendan for im or yu want to see im die?” Aye An Zenui be the wun.”
“Only the competent ones.” chuckled a somewhat amused Zarina. “You report everything you saw, barring Cuimits being alive or details about me. As far as they know, the village was attacked and they pushed back the invader.” the pointer claw tapped rapidly over the metal plate. There was something she was still trying to figure out. “Hmmm. I'll compensate you for gathering information on their home, entourage, and all things relevant if I'd want a face-to-face. Do you accept?” the big, bad set of claws extended itself for a shake - an arm that seemingly morphed from a big ass shield to this thing. Was there really a human hand in there somewhere? “Oh, and the toll for riding the dragon is helping me heal its wounds.”
The dead-eyed dragon did not cease in its intense glaring of the Eeaiko duo that had gotten far too close to the mistress. Still, it knew its place and the accumulated wounds on its body encouraged temperance from the beast.
Yansee stood there stoic and silent weighing everything that was said to her by Zarina. She more or less knew that the topic of Zarina and the escape of Cuimits was to be redacted from her summary of the events that transpired in the village. Finally, the topic of compensation was brought up, Yansee thought her gluttony would have to be satiated by the mere pendant. A coy smile began to etch itself on her face, as if she was pulling strings on the skin of her cheeks. ”Deel” full of glee and effervescence. The girl threw her hand into the amalgamation of what was assumed to be a hand and swiftly shook on it. She peered to the side of Zarina and saw the temperamental dragon hesitant to be touched, ”Sally ouver thair? Shore”.
There wasn't much shaking going on with that hunk of metal. Yansee just clenched it and the deal was done. Now, what the compensation was going to be remained purposefully vague. So vague it was never mentioned! Zarina nodded. “Yeah, that's her. Just ... Do it from afar. If you wanna ride her afterwards-” a long, silver claw pointed at the questionably living second eeaiko. “He doesn't come on. He can go on foot with Classa.” she solemnly decided before making her way to her dragon.
Ever the dominant alpha, Alqasas growled even to her mistress. And once Zarina was close enough, she unleashed a rude roar with all its might to challenge her mother. “Hey.” she retorted dryly. Tensions were in the air with an animal that could probably bite the teen's torso with little effort. And yet, it took a hard flick to the snout from the gauntlet, prompting it to recoil and growl louder. No more roars. And soon enough, the 'all bark' facet became clear when Zazzy patted the injured animal's scales. “You're a big, grumpy girl, eh? Grr grr.” she cackled. “Mom loves you too.” the healing could commence.
with the horse girl. He understood the reluctance of having someone of his nature on the dragon, so he silently shook his hand and waved off his daughter. Yansee nodded and furrowed her brows in strength before turning back to the dragon being coddled by this mysterious woman. She stretched her hands out as they began to glow and soothe the damage inflicted by the cazenax. With her fully healed, she followed promptly to the back of the dragon and hauled herself on.
The dragon's scales sprouted out of the rapidly healing wounds. It was now flight-ready. Once Zarina had straddled the beast, it seemed more docile to the notion of being ridden by a stranger. Still, the Eeaiko had to be careful.
The initial destionation was An Zenui, where most of her friends had gone and Wesca was said to live. But the rider began to falter soon after all the intensity had died down. And eventually she lay asleep on her dragon. It had been over sixty hours since she had any rest.
Distressed, the dragon changed its course for a familiar destination: The Farmstead.
Pauppaup breathed a sigh of relief, not that he needed to breathe since he was dead. Yansee grinned as well, not bothering to utter another word letting Cuimits leave with his back turned to all that had happened there. She shuffled past the dragon who gave her a weary look and scooped the pendant off the static sands. She admired the radiance it had and quickly tucked it in her pocket. Her mission met it's parameters and now she could go on about her life once more. That was unless the dragonknight had any thing to say about it. "Eym leevin now, tha awlrite with yu? Deez liips aur seeled! Unless yu got sumtin fo me?"
Classa sniffed and tried to make a brave face. She wrung her hands awkwardly, looking down at her hooves before looking back up. Then, the kid shrugged. “I know you didn't it's just...” She trailed off and sniffed again - a big one where you could really hear the boogers, where you could feel them. “I kind of wish none of it had happened, you know?” She glanced over at Zarina guiltily before hastily amending her statement. “I'm glad you're okay, though.” She twisted to regard to Tennaxi, who was striding up behind. “And you too.” She turned on her rears and darted over, enfolding the cazenax in a hug. “I thought you were dead, you know. You looked dead!”
Tennaxi laughed faintly. “Felt like it too.” She scratched at the back of her head and cast about, finding Classa to translate, and that seemed to perk the kid up. “Looks like I owe you again,” she addressed Zarina through her interpreter. “Thanks for healing me.” She shook her head. “Someday, I swear I won't be such a snarling fox.”
Zarina really wanted to hold the kid, but her crispy and bloodied armour wasn't prime hug material. Instead, she ruffled Classa's hair. The helm came off, letting Zazzy's sweaty hair breath out of the confinement they were frequently trapped into the last few days. Then Tennaxi and her demon legs was addressed, and her unlikely survival underlined by the centaur. “Heh, it was nothing, but-” at first she confused protecting with healing. But it eventually hit her. “I didn't heal you, though. They were suppressing me hard trying to shoot you down.” the Virangish knight confessed.
Attention fell onto Keelee. “Wait.” if Zarina's call wasn't answered, the dragon wasn't exactly keen on letting prey get away so easily. The only reason the massive reptile didn't pounce was the silent gesturing of her mother. “What is your deal? You try to mog me with these people, and then try to talk, and then help them again, and then help me, only to try and kill your associate here. With strange company, no less.” A glare was shot at the 'fresh' zombie. She opened her arms in an exaggerated shrug, head shaking in clear confusion. “What in Dami's righteous judgement drives you here?”
”Hey! I’m no strange company I’m her father I’ll have you know” her father remarked, ”The absolute nerve of some people. No manners at all.” Yansee moved her fingers, shutting her father’s mouth for just a moment. A bunch of muffled groans could be heard behind inaudible speech. ”Eye wus sen on a mishon to cleen up. Mayke me puppets with potenshell four a zombie dragoon. Et wus yu or em, eym not a killa, so eye elped yu bof” trying her best to enunciate.
The man spoke eloquently enough. Unsettling as he was, his ability to talk was value. Then came the living fish-girl's answer, which prompted a scowl from the dragonknight. “You wanted to kill and use my girl, huh?” she took a step forward to close the gap between the Eeaiko and herself. “You're not quite well up there, aren't you?” Yansee's personal bubble was invaded, although they weren't at nose-touching distance quite yet. “Hmph. I guess I owe you for helping Tennaxi, at least. So tell me about this Wesca person.” she crossed her arms under her chest and sighed. “And then you'll show me where to find that person.”
”Up wear?” pointing to her skull, ”Up ere? Eye think tha deepends on oo yu ask” laughing a bit, but covering her mouth as the dragonknight drew very close to her. Yu smell noice, Eye dun talk to er much. She gots erself ay fancee hoosban. Lives en a fancee haus. Danegerus, powaaful, rich. Wha eye get ef eye show yu? Sides my lyfe?”
Zarina stood her ground, but showed visible discomfort when sniffed. She was holding back on just flicking the girl. “One of these elites the others were talking about.” she muttered. Her long, metal claws protruding out of her massive gauntlet drummed over the platinum scales on her bicep. “Your life, and I don't burn him.” she pointed right at the daddy with her chin. “If shit hits the fan, you can take the rich people garbage they have laying around.” then, she paused, having learned something from today's mess. “Not before I find my friends, though. So, we'll just be scouting. I assume these rich cunts are in An Zenui?”
There was little negotiation room and a very slim chance the hulking monster clad in armor would allow Yansee to leave without suffering great loss. Yansee sighed and let out an annoyed growl after stomping her feet a bit. ”Aur all off yu this relentlyss?”. Her pauppaup winced in fear and covered his face and some of his body, but mostly his face. Fyn fyn jus gib me an pauppaup a ryd ther an we show yu. Let me tawk tu er firs, so eye can get me reward an gib er this pendan for im or yu want to see im die?” Aye An Zenui be the wun.”
“Only the competent ones.” chuckled a somewhat amused Zarina. “You report everything you saw, barring Cuimits being alive or details about me. As far as they know, the village was attacked and they pushed back the invader.” the pointer claw tapped rapidly over the metal plate. There was something she was still trying to figure out. “Hmmm. I'll compensate you for gathering information on their home, entourage, and all things relevant if I'd want a face-to-face. Do you accept?” the big, bad set of claws extended itself for a shake - an arm that seemingly morphed from a big ass shield to this thing. Was there really a human hand in there somewhere? “Oh, and the toll for riding the dragon is helping me heal its wounds.”
The dead-eyed dragon did not cease in its intense glaring of the Eeaiko duo that had gotten far too close to the mistress. Still, it knew its place and the accumulated wounds on its body encouraged temperance from the beast.
Yansee stood there stoic and silent weighing everything that was said to her by Zarina. She more or less knew that the topic of Zarina and the escape of Cuimits was to be redacted from her summary of the events that transpired in the village. Finally, the topic of compensation was brought up, Yansee thought her gluttony would have to be satiated by the mere pendant. A coy smile began to etch itself on her face, as if she was pulling strings on the skin of her cheeks. ”Deel” full of glee and effervescence. The girl threw her hand into the amalgamation of what was assumed to be a hand and swiftly shook on it. She peered to the side of Zarina and saw the temperamental dragon hesitant to be touched, ”Sally ouver thair? Shore”.
There wasn't much shaking going on with that hunk of metal. Yansee just clenched it and the deal was done. Now, what the compensation was going to be remained purposefully vague. So vague it was never mentioned! Zarina nodded. “Yeah, that's her. Just ... Do it from afar. If you wanna ride her afterwards-” a long, silver claw pointed at the questionably living second eeaiko. “He doesn't come on. He can go on foot with Classa.” she solemnly decided before making her way to her dragon.
Ever the dominant alpha, Alqasas growled even to her mistress. And once Zarina was close enough, she unleashed a rude roar with all its might to challenge her mother. “Hey.” she retorted dryly. Tensions were in the air with an animal that could probably bite the teen's torso with little effort. And yet, it took a hard flick to the snout from the gauntlet, prompting it to recoil and growl louder. No more roars. And soon enough, the 'all bark' facet became clear when Zazzy patted the injured animal's scales. “You're a big, grumpy girl, eh? Grr grr.” she cackled. “Mom loves you too.” the healing could commence.
with the horse girl. He understood the reluctance of having someone of his nature on the dragon, so he silently shook his hand and waved off his daughter. Yansee nodded and furrowed her brows in strength before turning back to the dragon being coddled by this mysterious woman. She stretched her hands out as they began to glow and soothe the damage inflicted by the cazenax. With her fully healed, she followed promptly to the back of the dragon and hauled herself on.
The dragon's scales sprouted out of the rapidly healing wounds. It was now flight-ready. Once Zarina had straddled the beast, it seemed more docile to the notion of being ridden by a stranger. Still, the Eeaiko had to be careful.
The initial destionation was An Zenui, where most of her friends had gone and Wesca was said to live. But the rider began to falter soon after all the intensity had died down. And eventually she lay asleep on her dragon. It had been over sixty hours since she had any rest.
Distressed, the dragon changed its course for a familiar destination: The Farmstead.
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