EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha did not expect everything about Rossarm to change, but that one day had done much to her own perspective. There was a lot to hate about the ways he had acted in the past, about how he had treated Fendros, but on that day, it had been them against the armies of Oblivion, and Rossarm had stepped into that willingly. When it came down to it, he was someone who would stand up and act in the face of even an overwhelming threat. He did not make excuses, regardless of how he felt, and that was a quality Ahnasha could respect.

“It won’t be long before everyone moves on, back to their homes. We thought it would be nice to give everyone a chance to get together, without the threat of Vile looming over us.” Ahnasha added, giving a quick glance over to Fendros beside her. There was much she could say, wanted to say, points she could make, but in the end, little of this was about her. If, even after everything, Rossarm rejected them, she would move on with hardly a second thought. This resolution, whatever it ended up being, was about Fendros. Whether he reconciled with his past, or buried it, Ahnasha would be right here to support him through every moment. However it went, though, there was little doubt in her mind that he had the strength to handle it.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Kareet had only a limited view of what was going on around her. The assistance of Nellara’s Force mages made it possible to bring the barge to shore, but it still took every bit of effort she could muster to do her part. The soldiers arranged into some sort of formation as quickly as possible. The first volley of arrows came down before they could fully position themselves, but there were two that managed to get themselves in front of Kareet, using their shields, armor, and own bodies to guard her. Likely the same was true for the Force mages keeping them up.

All around her, Kareet heard the impact of arrows. Some against metal, some into the wooden hull, some into flesh. Kareet saw one of them pierce straight through the body of one of the Tekeri soldiers. It was an arrow shot from one of the heavy bows used by the likes of the S’tor which could absolutely pierce even quality chainmail, and in this case, she could see it impale through one of his lungs out the other side. Though, the reactions of the soldiers was professional and practiced. The front line pushed forward to guard those behind them, holding shields high to protect the head. Those in the middle quickly grabbed the injured soldier and pulled them back, then the Life mage got quickly to work. Life mages commonly stayed in the back of most formations and would use their fellow soldiers’ bodies as shields, if need be. Above all, they were trained to protect their own lives, for they were responsible for keeping the rest alive. ‘Treatment’, in this case, did not involve near so much care as the Humans were accustomed to from their field medics. Speed of recovery was the most important factor here, so the Life mage simply grabbed the arrow and yanked it straight out of the body with little concern for how much damage the arrowhead did as she ripped it out. Sheer adrenaline likely halted the pain, and fortunately for him, it would not catch up with him later. A few moments of focus from the Life mage, and the wound closed up before their eyes.

In most circumstances, the barrage would have continued beyond the first few volleys, but there was something to surprise even their ambushers. They were far away and had already ranged their shots beforehand, so they were not expecting effective return fire. However, the Humans and their weapons seemed to be able to aim and shoot at even that long range perfectly well. Instead of arrows or fireballs, it was seemingly invisible projectiles landing all around them. Kareet could hear little beyond the deafening crack of Zey’s weapon, again and again and again. It could shoot so quickly with a sound that echoed throughout the entire valley. Among the assailants on the shore, one of the shots from one of the Humans tore straight through a Glen’s chest, and she dropped to the ground in an instant. There was no arrow, no sign of what struck her, but they could hear the sounds of these shots flying all around them. Startled and frightened, two of them grabbed their wounded ally while they all retreated back behind the treeline.

The barrage of arrows might have halted until the barge made it to shore, but that did not mark the end of the ambush. A horn sounded out, and from the trees came charging two massive creatures on all-fours, as fast as their bodies could carry them. To nearly everyone present, they were entirely unrecognizable, but to Kareet and J’eon, they were frighteningly familiar.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

In this case, Ahnasha found it easier to stay calm for this particular meeting, which perhaps was not surprising. There was a lot more weight on this conversation for Fendros than for her. In a way, she felt it was encouraging that Rossarm opened the door at all. Part of her had been preparing for the possibility of him sending Fendros away through the door. Still, once the door opened, all that filled the air was a silence that carried the kind of tension that could be cut with a knife. Though, Ahnasha did not let it persist for too long. While the two of them stared at one another, she was in a position to break the ice.

“Good morning, Rossarm. Do you mind if we come in for a few minutes?” Ahnasha asked, simple and polite, but direct. Even after all that had happened between them, she was not showing a hint of trepidation.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's funny, I was just thinking about this a few hours ago. I should be able to reply tomorrow.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Nellara’s assistance lightened the load for Kareet, and once a Force mage among her soldiers joined in as well, it was enough to start moving even a heavy barge towards the shore. Force magic was far more well-suited for this task, as the force could be applied evenly across the hull. Already, Kareet’s efforts had splintered the hull in multiple places.

The barge was floating just above the blackened water towards the nearest riverbank. With the near complete stillness all around them, the movement just ahead from just beyond the treeline stood out all the more easily. Several people, about seven or eight from what Kareet could see at a glance, though there could be more obscured by the foliage. It was a mix of Tekeri, Glen, and S'tor, with no standard uniform or markings that could identify them. They did not look equipped for war; in fact, they looked more like hunters than anything else. Except, they immediately took aim with their bows firmly on the barge. They were far enough away that Kareet could not hit them with any sort of lightning bolt she could charge quickly enough; not that she could afford to do anything except prevent their vessel from falling back into the river, regardless. Their attackers had already ranged their shots, so when they loosed their first volley, most of the arrows came straight for the barge.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

However long the silence had been going on, Kareet did not have time to discern its nature before the situation changed. Kareet had stood up and was pacing down the middle of the barge, her eyes darting around across the surrounding forest looking for anything out of the ordinary. However, it was not the forest which changed.

The shift was sudden and drastic. All around the barge, the water seemed to shift into a substance as black as tar, and about as viscous. For the Humans, if they were capable of recognizing such things, they would see the same looks of startled surprise on most of the soldiers, and even Kareet herself. Across all of her education and experience, this was like nothing she had ever seen or heard of before.

There was not much time to stand around in awe. The barge had come almost to a halt as the paddlewheel struggled to push through. More alarming, though, was when a hole formed in the bottom of the boat. This liquid, whatever it was, corroded a hole straight through the wooden hull just under a Tekeri soldier near Kareet. The substance enveloped the foot of the soldier, who fell onto his back as soon as he tried to back away. Despite having practically dissolved a hole in the hull, the substance did not actually cause any visible harm to the Tekeri. Rather, half of his leg was entirely paralyzed.

This was something wholly, completely new and unexpected to Kareet, but it was no time for wonder and curiosity. In emergencies, survival was favored for those who could be decisive. Kareet pushed both hands downwards, open-palmed, extended them outwards, then clenched them into fists. Body and mind focused as hard as she ever had before, she let out a scream as her hands lifted up slowly, as if fighting against some unseen force. The magnetic field she had generated enveloped the whole of the barge, though of course, it could not touch the vessel’s wooden hull. However, every nail, rivet, steel reinforcement, and the paddlewheel mechanism itself was perfectly vulnerable to its influence. Not to mention, as she had not focused her magic to any specific object, every single magnetic object on the barge would be pulled upwards and float in the air around them unless held down by something.

The barge’s hull quickly began to crack and splinter from the uneven application of force that was starting to lift it out of the water. Raising it by influencing a scattered mass of metal objects was far from ideal, and Kareet was already struggling, but they needed to get the barge to the riverbank. “LIFT!” Kareet shouted desperately.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet tilted her head as she looked over at Zey. “Like…heights?” She questioned. She had heard the laughs from the Humans, and by this point and could guess that there had been a joke, even if she did not understand it. “Sorry, I don’t think the question, or…expression translated well.”

---

Now that they were on the river, there were only a few days ahead of them on their journey. It would not take long after leaving Ertiseda for Kareet’s comments about the river to be seen in practice, as it was a busy waterway, all things considered. This river in particular connected the Ascendency to Lake Núr, which could connect to over half of the nations on the continent. It was the less popular of the two rivers which connected to the Lake, but it did provide a shorter path to Kerak Núr and most of the major cities in Avko. Riverboats carrying goods, or soldiers on patrol, were a common sight, though it did not truly start feeling crowded until they reached Lenkik. The city sat at the convergence of two rivers, and three major trade routes. Not to mention, commoners of Lenkik who made their living on the water added to the traffic on the river. Especially considering the small fishing boats, there could have been hundreds of boats on the water at once. No doubt, the Humans in plain view on their boat caught the eyes of many as they passed by, but it still felt like they were almost lost in the crowd as they moved past the city. The last leg of their journey, between Lenkik and Arcaeda, was on an even busier stretch of the river than the first. While not so densely packed as the area immediately surrounding Lenkik, it was rare for there not to be another vessel in view.

---

Kareet sat back on one of the seats near the rear of the barge, looking up at the bright blue sky above. It was close to midday, when she would normally be fast asleep. The Humans seemed to prefer to be active during the day, so ever since making contact with them, she had adjusted her schedule to match. Tekeri in some professions and places had adapted to sleeping almost entirely at night, but she still felt strange being surrounded constantly by such bright light. It was unnatural, and a bit unsettling. Nellara and her soldiers did not seem to be as visibly bothered as Kareet had been. They were professionals who were accustomed to rough conditions, she supposed. Granted, she was no stranger to such conditions, but she also tended to have control over her own schedule.

After a while, Kareet was snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed some of the soldiers were starting to become uncomfortable for entirely different reasons. It took a while for her to figure out what was unsettling them, as no matter where she looked, she could see nothing that stood out around them. Eventually, she realized it was the “nothing” that was the problem. There was not another boat in sight, and for this stretch of river, that was rare. Not impossible, of course, especially for just a short time, but she had not been paying attention to how long this had been going on. Not to mention it was…quiet. The usual constant chirping of birds from the forests around the river during the day was conspicuously absent. For that, she had no explanation.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

There seemed to be a few moments, after Vigdis mentioned it, where Kareet was genuinely considering whether or not steel ships would actually solve the problems they faced. Regardless, the very fact that Vigdis was asking the questions she was implied a world quite different from Kanth-Aremek. A planet all to themselves without creatures that could truly challenge them: it seemed like it would make for an easier existence, but she wondered if the lack of challenges would end up holding them back. Or perhaps, in absence of other substantial threats, the Humans had become that threat for one another, like the S’tor.

“As I mentioned, the other side of the continent has been explored, and mapped to an extent, but those are individuals or relatively small teams. Establishing a connection to that land, at scale, is impractical. Just as many expeditions have failed to return as have succeeded. If not more.” Kareet explained. Some of Vigdis’ word choice had caught her attention. She said that Humans had once “believed in” sea monsters, and even magic. Did she believe that the creatures Kareet described were merely myth? Obviously, she did not believe magic to be a myth, considering she had seen in performed right in front of her.

“I can say for sure that people have sailed into the deep seas before, intentionally or unintentionally, but very few return. Most large vessels fall prey to leviathans.” The word, as she spoke it, had a direct translation from S’toric, as it seemed, but the way she spoke appeared to be about a specific type of creature. “They are fiercely territorial creatures, and they seem to act as if ships are their prey or, more likely, competition. I have wondered before what might be beyond the seas. Experiments have calculated how large our world must be. It is hard to imagine that there is only a vast expanse of ocean out there. Perhaps we will find a way to explore it one day. Perhaps you will help us?” She suggested. “One of my colleagues theorized that we might use Thought magic to repel leviathans from an expedition. It is a difficult theory to test, though, considering it requires both getting approval for the assistance of a Thought mage, and finding a leviathan to test it on. And if it fails, they die.”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Some might have had a hard time accepting that simple water craft could possibly remain relevant when flying craft were available, but Kareet actually seemed to understand the explanation Vigdis gave. It was a matter of economics. What caught her interest in the answer was the fact that Vigdis mentioned traversing oceans with their ships. If anything, she would have expected that would be what flying craft were mostly used for.

“You remember the map I showed you before, yes?” Kareet questioned. “That is the land about which we know the most. There is more to the continent, to the north and east, but it lies on the other side of harsh and nearly impassable mountains and deserts, and the oversea route to bypass them crosses too much deep water to pass safely. It has been passed before, of course, by some explorers, and mapped to an extent. It is just too difficult to reach for there to be much of a connection between here and that part of the world.”

Kareet grabbed her notebook and made a few notes on what Vigdis had said while she continued. “As for what is beyond this continent, we know there is something. Islands, at least, from the tales of lost sailors that managed to make their way back home. Some tales speak of whole other continents, but it is hard to say for sure what lies beyond the deep seas. If only we had the sorts of ships you must have to sail the oceans, as you say. How have you managed to protect them from the creatures of the deep?”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

There was something of an exaggeration in what Nellara said. Or at least, it was only true from a certain point of view. The Ascendancy’s cities, and the passages connecting them, were indeed well-patrolled and safe. For the most part, the Ascendancy relied on the rivers for transport, and so there were frequent patrols to keep them secure. Beyond that, farther from civilization, the Ascendancy, much like the rest of Kanth-Aremek, was still a dangerous place. Though, it could be said that all of the parts of the Ascendancy that really mattered were safe, and for the purposes of their current journey, that distinction was irrelevant.

Kareet tilted her head towards Zey, nodding in agreement with Nellara. “The rivers are the lifeblood of the Ascendancy. It is certainly in our interest to keep them patrolled.”

Kareet found a corner to tuck her pack into, then found a place to sit. Naturally, for the Humans, it all seemed built for creatures larger than themselves, though that was far better than the reverse in this case. It would still be crowded, but they would have some space to move about on the barge during the trip. Still, for Kareet, the thought occurred to her that she would have plenty of time for more interviews, if she was so inclined. It was not as if the Humans could go anywhere else.

“Do your people still make use of boats and rivers, or have flying craft like your Jotunheim replaced all of those?” Kareet asked.