[IC] Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

[EliteCommander]

"Hmph, if you want your leader to actually listen to me, then that would not be wise. You might consider my name instead, Tarentek." He answered. The woman was being about as immature as he had come to expect from her...although, to be fair, pushing her into the lake was not the most well-reasoned action. His current condition made him too susceptible to his own emotions.

"Remember, this is the fate of your people at stake. If you do not want firsthand information about the tactics and capabilities of your enemy, then we can part ways now. But you've seen my scars, you know that no normal weapon could have made them. The importance of this goes beyond some prank at a lake. Everything and everyone you know could be destroyed within the next few weeks; that is the gravity of the situation. Remember that when we get to your leader." He said, his expression strikingly grim.

[Vesuvius00]

"Ta-ren-tek." Onyx said, sounding out the syllables the creature claimed made up its name. "Interesting. That could mean one of two things... 'The Trickster' if you are female, or 'One loved by God" if you are male." She took flight, glad to find that her wings had finally dried. She did some loops in joy before gliding beside Tarentek. "My name is Onyx Bright, which means 'Unpredictable Gift'."

[EliteCommander]

"Close. 'Favored-of-the-Gods.' Our language is the same, but...different. It has always confused me how cities that have never contacted one another could have such similar languages, but...that is not important right now." Tarentek commented, also making sure to remember the pronunciation on her name.

Moving on from introductions, Onyx had obviously dried out enough to take flight, so Tarentek assumed they were about to pick up their pace quite considerably. He had not actually thought about the idea of flying yet, but now he certainly was. He had not wanted to fly since his youth, when he would watch birds flying over the city, but now that he had the opportunity, he was not sure he wanted it. "I suppose we should get moving, but...try to fly low. I am not light."

[Vesuvius00]

"No... It would be better to fly above that." Onyx said, motioning towards a dark haze on the horizon. "A sandstorm. The updraft will make it easier for me to fly while carrying you." Before he could complain or chicken out, Onyx looped her arms under Tarentek's, lifting him off the ground easily. "Try not to move."

She smiled as she sped higher and higher in the sky, careful not to let go of Tarentek, yet. She waited until they were over the center of the storm, and then she let go. He did not fall far, his hooded robe created enough drag to suspend him in midair. Onyx laughed at the expression he had on his face, and then went on to explain why he had not fallen to his death.

"We call this 'Wind Net' or Olias. The spirits of the land and air care for my people, so as long as we are in the air they will not let us fall. They caught you because they saw that I was carrying you." Onyx took his hand in hers, guiding him back to her so she could carry him again. "That was for pushing me into the water, I will not drop you again. Olias is strongest over storms." She said with a laugh. Her Tribe's nest was not to far away anymore, she could see the mountains now.

[EliteCommander]

After the first few minutes of flight, Tarentek was not too aware of his surroundings, as he was going through considerable effort not to be. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about where he was, though the sandstorm made that difficult. He had been through them before, but never had he heard one beneath him. It seemed unnatural, and unnerving. So concentrated was he on distracting himself that it took him a few moments to notice he had been dropped, which was fortunate, as it did not give him much opportunity to be afraid. When he opened his eyes, he could see the sandstorm around him, but nothing else. The wind was overwhelming, and he could not tell if he was falling, or how fast. An instant later, he was snatched back up above the storm.

Tarentek did not say anything in the aftermath of the ordeal, instead just focusing on calming his rapidly beating heart as he waited for them to touch down. She explained something about her people's beliefs relating to their flight, but he was more apt to attribute his slowed fall to the wind. Mysticism was not popular with his people in Amman; a result of their technology-centric approach to shaping their city. Their gods were gods of reason and knowledge.

[Vesuvius00]

After a few minutes of science, they reached the mountains. Onyx put Tarentek on a ledge that was just out of view from the rest of the nest. "Stay here, and try not to fall. I will go and make sure that our leader is still in his den, and then I will come get you." She told him in what she hoped was a stern voice, leaving before he said anything else.

Onyx flew up above the peak of the mountain, heading towards her father's den. When she got there, she was not surprised to find that he was still home. He was always busy worrying about the tribe's affairs, even before he had become leader. She tried to ignore the small voice of worry in the back of her mind as she hurried to go get Tarentek before anyone else from her tribe could find him. The promise I made... I will keep. I do not like the thought that I may have to stand up to my father in the defense of an outsider, but this is much more important than he will be able to realize right away...

She got back to the ledge where she had left Tarentek, landing softly by him. She waited until he realized she was there before speaking. "He is there. Are you ready?"

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek waited patiently on the ledge. As long as he did not move, he did not have to worry about falling, and he would be less likely to be discovered. His robe could blend in rather well with the rocks, so at a distance, it would be quite difficult to detect him. While he waited, he had time to think about how he was going to word his warning. From his impression of Onyx, he got the sense that her race was prideful and isolationist. However, he had a feeling their leader might be more agreeable. Generally, it made sense to give the common person a strong since of pride and confidence in the group, but leaders tended to be at least a bit more realistic. They were responsible for their people's safety, so not only did they have to know what their people were capable of, but also be aware of and acknowledge their weaknesses. As such, their leader might be receptive to his warning.

Once Onyx finally returned, Tarentek stood up and walked over to her so she could pick him up once more. "I suppose so. I've had plenty of time to think about what to say. Let's just be quick; I would like to avoid the rest of your kin until your leader can protect me."

[Vesuvius00]

I would not be so sure of that... Onyx thought the words but did not speak them. She simply nodded and picked Tarentek up again, flying swiftly to her father's den. "I will go in first, and you will follow me. Do not show yourself until I have introduced you." She said as they landed just outside the entrance to the den. "There is a wall just inside the door that you can hide behind. Hurry or someone will see you." With that she walked into the den, greeting her father with a small bow.

"Onyx? Is there something wrong? Your mother was looking for you not too long ago." He would have seemed worried, had he even bothered to look at her. She stayed silent a moment too long and then he did look at her. "Onyx! What happened to you?" He asked in surprise.

"Nothing, really... I fell into the sea when I went to go fishing, and then I ran into a sandstorm on the way back." She said, trying to keep herself from laughing at her father. When she said that she had fallen into the sea, Her father had made a face like a fish -lips pursed and eyes squished- and he stayed like that for a few seconds.

"Umm, Raldel?" She said, calling him by name rather than calling him father for the sake of their hidden guest. "That was not the only thing of interest to happen at the sea today," Onyx turned towards the doorway, motioning to Tarentek to come over. "I also met someone there. Raldel, leader of the gold tribe, I present to you Tarentek. I suggest you listen well to what he has to say."

As soon as she spoke his name, he had stepped out into the room. He walked up to stand slightly behind her and nodded his head to her father in a respectful gesture. She was watching her father intently, ready to stop any attack he might make upon her or Tarentek.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek listened in as he waited for Onyx to introduce him. From the way the man, who Tarentek assumed to be the leader, spoke, he gathered that Onyx was more closely related to him than she had previously implied. He assumed, or at least hoped, that their relation would be helpful in persuading the leader to listen to him.

Once Tarentek heard his name, he stepped out as non-threateningly as possible, following every social rule she had told him of. In order to limit any snap judgements that the leader, Raldel, might make, he spoke up immediately to get straight to business. "I understand that speaking to outsiders is unusual and exceptional, so I will get straight to my purpose here. Your people are in danger. There is an army, an empire, advancing from the east. The city of Amman has fallen, as have countless others to the east if the rumors hold true. I was there to witness their attack; their power is greater than any civilization previously known to us...by a large margin. They have a command over Human technologies the likes of which I would not have thought possible. The advantage it gives them is...severe. Your people's flight has given you an advantage over the others in our region, but you have to believe me when I say that it will not matter with them."

[Vesuvius00]

Onyx saw the hate in her father's eyes as he looked from Tarentek to her and back to him again, he was obviously very angry with her, but that would pass. She was glad, however, for Tarentek's tactful approach, because now her father was also considering a future threat to the tribe rather than just a single outsider. He cleared his throat before speaking, looking only at Tarentek now.

"There are many reasons I could give you as for why we would never have to worry about something from the east, our flight being the least of them. My people are always in danger, especially from spies like you, rather than the 'great army' you have described. New Human Relics are found every day, so certainly those who learn it's ways first would seem to have a great advantage at first, but only a battle against a worthy foe would prove their strength." Her father smirked before continuing. "This is, of course, assuming that the 'Empire' you speak of is real."

Onyx understood her father's reaction, however she couldn't stand the smugness and pride that filled his voice. She was about to say something to try and make him listen, but he cut her off. "I would, however, like to know how you convinced my own daughter to lead you here. Useless as she is, she knows not to speak to other races, or even to leave them alive. At least, I thought so." He finished with a pointed glare at her, and she couldn't stop herself from stepping back a pace or two.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek did not expect convincing their leader to be easy, and while he was not quite as accepting as he hoped, he knew that it could be going far worse. Raldel's skepticism was understandable, even if his people weren't as secluded as they were. All Tarentek had to do was provide compelling enough evidence to make him take the threat seriously.

"She brought me here because I showed what this enemy can do. I still bear the scars of the attack." He explained before pulling back his robe just as before, revealing the scars that still covered a large section of his body. They evidenced a weapon that gave burns, along with many smaller cuts, but above all, the scars showed that the enemy had weapons entirely unlike any Raldel's people had likely seen before. "I was hit by a glancing blow from one of the weapons they have learned to use. It was a small object, not unlike a fruit in its shape, but made of metal, or at least it looked like metal. In an instant, it went from being harmless on the ground, to creating a deafeningly loud fireball of light and heat. It was hard to tell in the moment exactly what happened, but I think it sent out many objects, like small bullets, in all directions. I was far enough away to only be wounded, but my allies closer to the weapon had their flesh torn from their bone. It is a weapon that would be easy to use against flying opponents such as your people. There are many other things I can describe to you about their capabilities, given enough time, but if you are still doubting their existence, then I would recommend you send scouts to the city of Amman, to the northeast. If you do not know its location, I can point it out on any maps you might have. They either captured or destroyed the city, but in either case, their soldiers would still be present. You could see for yourselves their numbers and advanced weaponry." Tarentek recommended.

[Vesuvius00]

Onyx tried to avoid looking at Tarentek when he revealed his scars to her father, she hoped she would never have to see anything so terrifying and gruesome ever again. She did, however, look at her father's reaction. He seemed to have turned to stone, frozen in place as he saw the brutal scars that criss-crossed Tarentek's side. It took him a moment to recover enough to speak again, and when he did it seemed like he was trying to keep all emotion from his voice. "It doesn't seem like you have any hidden motive for telling me this, but why would someone from Amman try to warn us of this? We've had little to no interest and interaction with your people ever since we first learned of their existence, and they have never shown much interest in us either." Her father motioned for her to come to his side, away from Tarentek. She thought for a moment and followed his command. It would be easier for her to stop a sudden attack from her father to Tarentek if she were closer to him anyway.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek closed up his robe after showing his scars, as they seemed to have had the intended effect. In a way, it was fortunate he had not been well-fed enough for his scars to heal any more than they already had. With proper nutrition, they would be gone in a week or two. Since he now seemed a bit more receptive, Tarentek felt he actually had a good chance of persuading him to take action.

"As I said, my home has been conquered or destroyed. I did not come here under orders, as I had no superiors to order me. My entire purpose for life was found within that city, and now that it is gone, my only purpose is to fight against the advance of this Empire. But, you are correct, we have had next to no contact with your people, and when I fled my home, I did not first think to come here specifically. The reason I am here to deliver this warning is because Onyx saved my life, so in return, I hope to save yours." Tarentek explained.

[Vesuvius00]

Her father glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before saying, "I would like to see what has become of Amman for myself. From what I had heard of it, despite them being more technologically advanced than most others we have heard of, they also had a strong system of governing for such a large, city, as you call it. I wonder why your leaders did not recognise such a threat to their people sooner."

Her father turned to her and continued. "As it seems that you are responsible for his ability to even give us such a warning," he told her, "you are now responcible for keeping him that way. Onyx, as your father and as the leader of our tribe, I order you to remain with him as a guard and nurse until he is fully healed and well enough to leave. He will stay with you until such a time."

Before Onyx could argue, he turned back to speak to Tarentek again. "I will lead a small reconnaissance team to Amman, and will examine the situation thoroughly. Please, go with Onyx. I will tell you what we find when we return."

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek gave a polite and understanding nod. There was no doubt that what they would find would be alarming, he just hoped they took the threat seriously enough to be cautious. "Thank you, sir. I would just advise that you take extra precautions on your scouting mission. This enemy is highly deadly, and I do not know how they will react to seeing you. If they annexed the city, they may not shoot on sight, but if they destroyed it and are still salvaging the remains, that may not be the case."

With his final word of caution, Tarentek approached Onyx once more and awaited her guidance to wherever she would take him. As much as Onyx's gift of water had helped him, he still had a long way to go for a full recovery. He could hardly recall the last time he had eaten, and he was still on the verge of dehydration.

[Vesuvius00]

Her father grinned and said, "Do you take me for a fool?" Before walking out of the room. Onyx stood in shock for a moment afterwards, wondering about his sanity. Not because of his idea for a reconnaissance mission, but because of his order to take care of Tarentek.

As Tarentek walked over to her again, she accidentally mumbled her thoughts out loud. "You'd think he'd at least assign someone who was actually a medic to take care of you." When she noticed that she had spoken out loud, she quickly added, "I'm still just in training."

With a sigh she walked back out of the den, motioning for Tarentek to follow her. "I think it would be a better idea to walk there now, rather than me carrying you around. You honestly don't look very good, and I know nothing about your race!"

[EliteCommander]

Upon Onyx's request, Tarentek began to follow her out of the "den," as they called it. Overall, the meeting with the leader went as well as he could have hoped. He still did not feel welcome, but at least he was there with their leader's blessing.

"I would not worry too much about treating me. My race heals quickly, and thoroughly. Mostly, I am malnourished and dehydrated. All I need is food, water, and a few days of rest. If I could have a meal now, I would be grateful. As for not knowing anything about my race...I suppose I could answer any questions, if you have any." Tarentek offered.

[Vesuvius00]

As Onyx led Tarentek through her tribe's nest, she asked him about his lifestyle. "Well, first off I guess I should know what you like to eat. I sincerely doubt that you'd have the same kind of, uhh.. diet, that I have." She hoped she wouldn't freak him out with the phrasing of her question. She assumed that he knew he and his people was seen as prey for certain races, including hers, but what she was worried about was that he might be a plant-eater. It would take her a while to get together a meal for him if he wouldn't eat ANY type of meat, even if he does eat fish.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek gave a reassuring nod to Onyx. His people were most well-suited to eating meat, but they were still omnivorous, so unless they had a diet of poisons, he would likely not have an issue. "I would not worry too much; I can likely eat whatever you have. Meat is preferred, but I can eat plants if needed. In Amman, we raised livestock when we could, but grew our food in bad years, when water could not be found as reliably. As for drinks, I would really prefer water at the moment, but if you only store alcohol, I will be fine with it."

Now that they were outside the den, Tarentek had a chance to get a better look at their city. It was dark, but he could see well enough to notice that the structures were...different. They were not quite like any Human ruins he had seen before, which struck him as especially odd. As well, he could not remember seeing any cities in this area on the old Human maps. It was something to think about, but there were more important matters for him to worry about at the moment.

[Vesuvius00]

Onyx gave a slight sigh of relief. He can eat livestock! She could feel herself relaxing as she formed a plan in her mind as for what to do next. She would give him water when they got to her den, which was not too far away now, and she could let him rest for a while as she prepared the meal. "None of us drink alcohol. It makes us, too unfocused, like we are dream-walking. We only use it when we are trying to induce sleep or dull pain from cold or a wound." She flicked her tail and ear nervously as she saw the shadow of two sentries flying above, probably to relieve the current guards at the west mountain for the night.

"We are almost there." She said to Tarentek as they went across the last bridge between the center of the nest to the mountain that her den was situated on. It was arguably the longest bridge in the nest, as it went almost all the way to the top of the south mountain from the small plateau that the center of the nest was situated on. "Please hurry, it's getting dark and I currently would NOT like to be stopped by a sentry asking why i'm not home yet." She looked back at him and added, "Do not worry about falling off the bridge, I or Olias will catch you."