Fallenreaper
Th3King0fChaos
Megatron
ctrlsaltdel
jasbraq
Suicharte
wintersoldier
Emeth
CitrusArms
Right back on the saddle, Zarina’s orders had come in. Selma Balik had taken personal responsibility for the unlikely survivor of the Night of Short Knives. Many were suspicious as to how she could still be alive. The captain had vouched for her, and thus she was the jaded veteran’s responsibility. Whether it was out of an affinity for the girl or having greater insight than the others in her potential remained to be seen. What was evident was the seamless integration of the taller Ersand’Enise student into her squad.
Tariq was around her age and was the only one to nearly match her in raw power. They would often arm wrestle as the two newbies of the group.
Fedouah, the true youngest of the squad from having started at a young age, had the same sense of humor as Zarina. Given temperaments, they were likely to work well together.
Lina kept her distance, like she did with everyone else. A bloodchild’s natural state of being.
Fatima ensured that any games that were played were kept under control, intervening with her slightly above average capacity if needed. A hardass, but considerate.
Nilay was the one with the gallows humour. Not much of a chatter but always chuckled at an attempt at humour. The edgy rogue, although not nearly as brooding.
And then there was Selma, the true ‘hardass’ with a realistic view of the world. She knew a good portion of her squad surpassed her in skill but they all valued her experience. Her rough outlook on Palapar often counterbalanced Zarina’s optimistic approach.
“Nilay has been able to draft this up so far.”
They had splayed out a map inside a tent hidden within the deep bush of Palapar. Nooks and crannies of what looked to be a tunnel system were drawn up. “She's sniffed out eleven savages last night. Our guess is this is a stockpile.”
“A guess, huh?” asked Zarina with a twinge of sarcasm.
“An educated one.” Nilay tapped her pointer finger on the lowermost part of the map. “There are two bound people. I think it’s the Demet heir.”
“The son of the big woman?” wondered Fatima.
Zarina nodded, lips pursed. She recalled the accusations levied toward him.
“Our job is to first save the lordling, then destroy their hideout along with their stockpile. Don’t confuse the order.”
“Save the kid, crash their party.” Fedouah cracked her bandage-covered knuckles. “With eleven duders too, is this gonna be one of breakneck assaults, boss?”
“No.” Balik said with a sigh. “We need to be fast, but the enemy has shown their fangs and can leverage their numbers on even our strongest at a moment’s notice.” she then pointed at Zarina. “This is why she’s here. You are going in with her, Fouah. You two alone.”
The group was left perturbed by the change of strategy. “Captain.” Tariq spoke up, not entirely sure of himself. “We should stick to what works. It’s what we’ve been taught.”
Lina nodded but did not speak a word.
“She’s a temporal mage.” Fatima determined, the clear intellectual of the group. “There’s no way we’re sending a powerhouse in a hole unless she’s surgical too.”
All eyes were on Zarina. Balik was curious about her reaction, the others wanted confirmation. “Kinda, yeah.” she raised her hands in surrender. “It isn’t enough to beat them, we need to be better than them. By a wide margin. They won’t even have time to use their trump cards.”
The group ironed out the details. Zarina and Fedouah were infiltrating, Tariq and Balik were to take down escapees while Fatima and Lina served as support if the need arose, from a distance. Nilay was on standby, in the shadows, unseen and undetected, ready to serve any purpose in the case of an emergency.
What chance did a bunch of peasant rebels have against a dragon-girl with immense RAS and a strong grasp of temporal magic? What if said girl was backed up by a hot-blooded fireblood with hand-to-hand combat experience for narrow passages?
They had none. All they could do was rush down to the lowest point of their den to execute the prisoners, or at the very least use them as bargaining chips. Not that they could outpace teleportation and fire-powered feet jets. That said, one of the young initiates had managed to place a knife just under the Demet heir’s throat. The one accused of raping a slave and eventually causing her death.
Zarina remembered well. The terror in his eyes was perhaps warranted. Maybe it was just an ounce of what his alleged victim felt. She regarded him with nothing other than intense focus in her amber eyes.
The kid with the knife shouted in Palparese. The lordling cried into his gag.
Fedouah had just siphoned the flames of a corpse before the smoke asphyxiated them all, too far to act. This left Zarina with the ultimate decision here.
In an instant, she seized his wrist after closing the distance without even moving. The youth was fast and had managed to stab the knife in the lord’s shoulder. A power-struggle ensued with the hostage taker using every bit of magic he had, while Zarina did her best to not accidentally tear apart the victim.
She could have just killed the kid. Headshot, decapitation, heart crushing, chemical shock. But that wasn’t her way. And it came at the risk of others, not just her.
When it looked like her VIP was potentially going to be bled with the hostile overdrawing to attempt a last ditch slash, Fedouah intervened with her sharpshooting fireball. The hand holding the knife was burned, with a finger being completely charred, allowing Zarina retake control.
The boy was imprisoned along with others Zarina had portaled into a cage. The Demet boy was safe and soon would be treated by Lina.
“You could have off’d the kid.” Zarina remarked after taking a seat inside the tunnel they were to destroy in a moment.
“Yup.” Fedouah replied, arms stretched out and yawning soon after.
“Woulda been easy peasy.”
“Uh-huh.” Zarina stared expectantly.
“What?” a wide-eyed Fedouah looked around, dumbfounded. “Is that crazy that I wanna be better than ‘em too? The way you handle things seems to matter to you, so …” she threw her arms in the air in the attempt to end the conversation.
Zarina chuckled. “Right. We got a job to finish.”
“Right.”
Outside lurked a shadow, far too distant to be noticed by our victors.
Tariq was around her age and was the only one to nearly match her in raw power. They would often arm wrestle as the two newbies of the group.
Fedouah, the true youngest of the squad from having started at a young age, had the same sense of humor as Zarina. Given temperaments, they were likely to work well together.
Lina kept her distance, like she did with everyone else. A bloodchild’s natural state of being.
Fatima ensured that any games that were played were kept under control, intervening with her slightly above average capacity if needed. A hardass, but considerate.
Nilay was the one with the gallows humour. Not much of a chatter but always chuckled at an attempt at humour. The edgy rogue, although not nearly as brooding.
And then there was Selma, the true ‘hardass’ with a realistic view of the world. She knew a good portion of her squad surpassed her in skill but they all valued her experience. Her rough outlook on Palapar often counterbalanced Zarina’s optimistic approach.
“Nilay has been able to draft this up so far.”
They had splayed out a map inside a tent hidden within the deep bush of Palapar. Nooks and crannies of what looked to be a tunnel system were drawn up. “She's sniffed out eleven savages last night. Our guess is this is a stockpile.”
“A guess, huh?” asked Zarina with a twinge of sarcasm.
“An educated one.” Nilay tapped her pointer finger on the lowermost part of the map. “There are two bound people. I think it’s the Demet heir.”
“The son of the big woman?” wondered Fatima.
Zarina nodded, lips pursed. She recalled the accusations levied toward him.
“Our job is to first save the lordling, then destroy their hideout along with their stockpile. Don’t confuse the order.”
“Save the kid, crash their party.” Fedouah cracked her bandage-covered knuckles. “With eleven duders too, is this gonna be one of breakneck assaults, boss?”
“No.” Balik said with a sigh. “We need to be fast, but the enemy has shown their fangs and can leverage their numbers on even our strongest at a moment’s notice.” she then pointed at Zarina. “This is why she’s here. You are going in with her, Fouah. You two alone.”
The group was left perturbed by the change of strategy. “Captain.” Tariq spoke up, not entirely sure of himself. “We should stick to what works. It’s what we’ve been taught.”
Lina nodded but did not speak a word.
“She’s a temporal mage.” Fatima determined, the clear intellectual of the group. “There’s no way we’re sending a powerhouse in a hole unless she’s surgical too.”
All eyes were on Zarina. Balik was curious about her reaction, the others wanted confirmation. “Kinda, yeah.” she raised her hands in surrender. “It isn’t enough to beat them, we need to be better than them. By a wide margin. They won’t even have time to use their trump cards.”
The group ironed out the details. Zarina and Fedouah were infiltrating, Tariq and Balik were to take down escapees while Fatima and Lina served as support if the need arose, from a distance. Nilay was on standby, in the shadows, unseen and undetected, ready to serve any purpose in the case of an emergency.
What chance did a bunch of peasant rebels have against a dragon-girl with immense RAS and a strong grasp of temporal magic? What if said girl was backed up by a hot-blooded fireblood with hand-to-hand combat experience for narrow passages?
They had none. All they could do was rush down to the lowest point of their den to execute the prisoners, or at the very least use them as bargaining chips. Not that they could outpace teleportation and fire-powered feet jets. That said, one of the young initiates had managed to place a knife just under the Demet heir’s throat. The one accused of raping a slave and eventually causing her death.
Zarina remembered well. The terror in his eyes was perhaps warranted. Maybe it was just an ounce of what his alleged victim felt. She regarded him with nothing other than intense focus in her amber eyes.
The kid with the knife shouted in Palparese. The lordling cried into his gag.
Fedouah had just siphoned the flames of a corpse before the smoke asphyxiated them all, too far to act. This left Zarina with the ultimate decision here.
In an instant, she seized his wrist after closing the distance without even moving. The youth was fast and had managed to stab the knife in the lord’s shoulder. A power-struggle ensued with the hostage taker using every bit of magic he had, while Zarina did her best to not accidentally tear apart the victim.
She could have just killed the kid. Headshot, decapitation, heart crushing, chemical shock. But that wasn’t her way. And it came at the risk of others, not just her.
When it looked like her VIP was potentially going to be bled with the hostile overdrawing to attempt a last ditch slash, Fedouah intervened with her sharpshooting fireball. The hand holding the knife was burned, with a finger being completely charred, allowing Zarina retake control.
The boy was imprisoned along with others Zarina had portaled into a cage. The Demet boy was safe and soon would be treated by Lina.
“You could have off’d the kid.” Zarina remarked after taking a seat inside the tunnel they were to destroy in a moment.
“Yup.” Fedouah replied, arms stretched out and yawning soon after.
“Woulda been easy peasy.”
“Uh-huh.” Zarina stared expectantly.
“What?” a wide-eyed Fedouah looked around, dumbfounded. “Is that crazy that I wanna be better than ‘em too? The way you handle things seems to matter to you, so …” she threw her arms in the air in the attempt to end the conversation.
Zarina chuckled. “Right. We got a job to finish.”
“Right.”
Outside lurked a shadow, far too distant to be noticed by our victors.
“In a flash, another advantage gone. And more husbands and wives to grieve.”
Balik’s squad was never too sentimental. They were what they called ‘tight’, but hardly ever socialized outside of work. Nilay said it best, “We will inevitably hurt as soldiers. There is no point stabbing ourselves in hurt anymore than we must.” Yet Zarina’s infectious social tact had managed to pry this advice out of Nilay’s hardened shell. They ended up talking more frequently while travelling. Mundane things.
It wasn’t uncommon for the two to be paired. Nilay, around twenty five now, was a master Magusjaeger and assassin. A master sonic mage with hundreds of kills under her belt. Zarina, on the other hand, was an unbreakable beast that caught the eye. One that would force foes to turn their backs to the darkness where the rogue dwelled.
Their operation was simple: Zarina led caravans between Virangish controlled settlements. The troops were numerous enough to suggest this wasn’t a decoy. Because it wasn’t one, but live bait was necessary for efficiency.
Highwaymen were drawn out, the dragon made a show of power to distract, and one by one they were claimed by the dark.
These villains had no chance. Every night the duo’s caravan wandered, the paths became safer.
Every night, the dragon learned to trust the panther.
But every night, they grew increasingly distrustful of the night they had embraced. Shadows were defiant and an apex predator was near.
It wasn’t uncommon for the two to be paired. Nilay, around twenty five now, was a master Magusjaeger and assassin. A master sonic mage with hundreds of kills under her belt. Zarina, on the other hand, was an unbreakable beast that caught the eye. One that would force foes to turn their backs to the darkness where the rogue dwelled.
Their operation was simple: Zarina led caravans between Virangish controlled settlements. The troops were numerous enough to suggest this wasn’t a decoy. Because it wasn’t one, but live bait was necessary for efficiency.
Highwaymen were drawn out, the dragon made a show of power to distract, and one by one they were claimed by the dark.
These villains had no chance. Every night the duo’s caravan wandered, the paths became safer.
Every night, the dragon learned to trust the panther.
But every night, they grew increasingly distrustful of the night they had embraced. Shadows were defiant and an apex predator was near.
“Gallivanting little dragon. Why is it that they let you live?”
The village of Lamitan had become famed for its coffee plants - some speculated its very lands mothered the first wild beans used today. A humble village that had been slowly adapting to change, but did not have the land to thrive as much as others. Today, it was a stronghold for the rebellion, one that survived every assault and brief siege so far.
They had large stockpiles of food, men to spare and three strong mages to lead them. Destruction of tunnels by the Balik squad and frequent decimation of more and more common trade routes used by the rebels had effectively severed the village from the network. They could last for years, but salvation would not come in time if another attack were to be.
The Virangish did not miss out on such an opportunity. They sent Zarina, Tariq and Fedouah. All three portal’d into one of the homes where the residents were swiftly silenced one way or another.
Fedouah started a fire, Tariq fanned it with his big RAS. It rapidly spread but the mages were intervening fast. Zarina came in, seized each one with her strong, clawed hand and hurled them into the portal where Fatima greeted them with a swift decapitation. Two had fallen to this method, the third wasn’t so foolish.
Desperate, she produced a Magic Prime Shot.
“Now we have a problem.” remarked Zarina without looking particularly bothered.
“Do we … Charge her?”Tariq inquired, frightened by seeing an enemy matching his power for the first time.
“I sure am.” boasted Fedouah as she charged right toward the RAS monster. A woman that, as she’d come to find out, was just about to splatter her if it weren’t for Zarina elbowing the threat into a nearby wall.
“What was that?!”
“A diversion.” the firebrand smirked.
The enemy wasn’t down for the count. Nowhere close. The battle was not a long one, however, with the enemy’s reinforcements making little difference once Zarina dispatched the adds in a matter of seconds through a powerful chemical spell.
Debris was spreading fast, many more buildings caught fire. And the enemy was increasingly distracted. Until, finally, she began to move erratically. No longer was her focus on the two assailants but rather Tariq. The lad, panicked, misfired. This left him open.
Zarina and Fedouah intervened, clashing the nameless rebel’s fiery fist with their own attack - the dragon with an explosive-chemical stemming from the scales on her fist, and a fireblood-special punch from the firecracker. The subsequent result would be an explosion that sent all flying and caused the nearby edifices to collapse.
In the wake of the explosion, an unscathed Zarina emerged and helped up her fireblood colleague. They could sense the mage in the dust, alive and on her knees. “She’s done.” remarked Fedouah. Zarina nodded. Just as they were going to finish the job, all three of the invaders noticed what she had been kneeling before.
A building with its roof caved in. Moans of pain could be heard inside, and a lot of blood could be seen oozing out of openings. A lot of voices, most young.
Everyone stopped. They all knew. Something terrible had happened. They had no words.
POW!
Zarina flinched while Fedouah fell on her rear. The kneeling assailant, or rather defender, leaked jets of blood out of her cranium through a small, dark hole. Soon enough, she fell head first onto the dirt. The threat was gone.
Tariq shivered, gun in hand with terror in his eyes. “I-it’s her fault! I-I-I wasn’t going to burn them!” his pistol fell to his feet as he held his head with one hand. “Oh Oraff. Oh Dami! Fuuuuuuck!”
Fedouah snapped out of it quickly, stood up, and finished the job by securing the remaining buildings like nothing had happened. Hyperfocused. In a hurry.
Zarina saved a total of two out of thirty six from the rubble. Most died instantly from the falling wood. Some died of asphyxiation, others from severe wounds. It took her longer than the whole mission to dig everything in the hopes of finding another soul among them.
By nightfall, Lamitan was reclaimed, now Virangish-held at the very end of the network they had rebuilt. Little to none would know of the blood spilt over mediocre lands and a barely-strategy asset.
Zarina resumed work the next day. Tired. This wasn’t the first time she had seen so many bodies. It wasn’t for Fedouah either. Tariq, on the other hand, was on a brief leave. None of them slept as they made camp on their conquered grounds, so easily watched over from the nearby hills.
They had large stockpiles of food, men to spare and three strong mages to lead them. Destruction of tunnels by the Balik squad and frequent decimation of more and more common trade routes used by the rebels had effectively severed the village from the network. They could last for years, but salvation would not come in time if another attack were to be.
The Virangish did not miss out on such an opportunity. They sent Zarina, Tariq and Fedouah. All three portal’d into one of the homes where the residents were swiftly silenced one way or another.
Fedouah started a fire, Tariq fanned it with his big RAS. It rapidly spread but the mages were intervening fast. Zarina came in, seized each one with her strong, clawed hand and hurled them into the portal where Fatima greeted them with a swift decapitation. Two had fallen to this method, the third wasn’t so foolish.
Desperate, she produced a Magic Prime Shot.
“Now we have a problem.” remarked Zarina without looking particularly bothered.
“Do we … Charge her?”Tariq inquired, frightened by seeing an enemy matching his power for the first time.
“I sure am.” boasted Fedouah as she charged right toward the RAS monster. A woman that, as she’d come to find out, was just about to splatter her if it weren’t for Zarina elbowing the threat into a nearby wall.
“What was that?!”
“A diversion.” the firebrand smirked.
The enemy wasn’t down for the count. Nowhere close. The battle was not a long one, however, with the enemy’s reinforcements making little difference once Zarina dispatched the adds in a matter of seconds through a powerful chemical spell.
Debris was spreading fast, many more buildings caught fire. And the enemy was increasingly distracted. Until, finally, she began to move erratically. No longer was her focus on the two assailants but rather Tariq. The lad, panicked, misfired. This left him open.
Zarina and Fedouah intervened, clashing the nameless rebel’s fiery fist with their own attack - the dragon with an explosive-chemical stemming from the scales on her fist, and a fireblood-special punch from the firecracker. The subsequent result would be an explosion that sent all flying and caused the nearby edifices to collapse.
In the wake of the explosion, an unscathed Zarina emerged and helped up her fireblood colleague. They could sense the mage in the dust, alive and on her knees. “She’s done.” remarked Fedouah. Zarina nodded. Just as they were going to finish the job, all three of the invaders noticed what she had been kneeling before.
A building with its roof caved in. Moans of pain could be heard inside, and a lot of blood could be seen oozing out of openings. A lot of voices, most young.
Everyone stopped. They all knew. Something terrible had happened. They had no words.
POW!
Zarina flinched while Fedouah fell on her rear. The kneeling assailant, or rather defender, leaked jets of blood out of her cranium through a small, dark hole. Soon enough, she fell head first onto the dirt. The threat was gone.
Tariq shivered, gun in hand with terror in his eyes. “I-it’s her fault! I-I-I wasn’t going to burn them!” his pistol fell to his feet as he held his head with one hand. “Oh Oraff. Oh Dami! Fuuuuuuck!”
Fedouah snapped out of it quickly, stood up, and finished the job by securing the remaining buildings like nothing had happened. Hyperfocused. In a hurry.
Zarina saved a total of two out of thirty six from the rubble. Most died instantly from the falling wood. Some died of asphyxiation, others from severe wounds. It took her longer than the whole mission to dig everything in the hopes of finding another soul among them.
By nightfall, Lamitan was reclaimed, now Virangish-held at the very end of the network they had rebuilt. Little to none would know of the blood spilt over mediocre lands and a barely-strategy asset.
Zarina resumed work the next day. Tired. This wasn’t the first time she had seen so many bodies. It wasn’t for Fedouah either. Tariq, on the other hand, was on a brief leave. None of them slept as they made camp on their conquered grounds, so easily watched over from the nearby hills.
“A tragedy. When we purge your group, there will be no one left to mourn these poor souls you’ve sent to the Gods.”
The war continued as it always had. Lamitan had no real impact. Ertan Kashani expected the works to continue like nothing had changed. But Balik knew better. All squad members were given a brief leave, and it wasn’t an option. The Inquisitor was merciless but not without a heart and a mentally burnt out group of dangerous warriors was a disaster waiting to happen.
Nilay and Zarina were restless, however. The former hadn't been part of the operation and had seen it all already. The latter needed to be kept busy at night - the insomnia had returned.
The roads were clear, their reputation had done as much work as their tactics. The shadows had since quieted down. There was more down time. More time to breathe. More time to break their self-imposed rules.
“Did you give it some thought?” Zarina inquired when they were finally alone. Sonic bubble and all, with the caravan a good many meters behind.
Nilay shrugged. “I’ve decided I’m about done with this circus. The blood being spilled is a bit too red.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?”
“Good for you. Bad for my pension.”
Zarina snorted. “Money’s on your mind when your neck’s on the line?”
“Need a safety net in case it goes tits-up. But I’ve seen how they do things. I’d rather not have to keep following that lead.”
With that said, Zarina produced a tiger origami and handed it to the assassin. “There’s a man with a hundred faces in Kalignan. You’ll find him fishing tomorrow.”
“That’s really weird. Can’t you get me a name or a description?”
“Uhhhh …” Zarina scratched her cheek. “Just, sit down. If someone notices you - anyone - just look at them and just adjust your dress. So, wear a dress.”
“That’s …” Nilay raised her brows. “Really esoteric Zarina. You haven’t done this much at all have y-”
“Nope.”
Nilay chuckled. “Whatever. If it gets us to settling that score,” she clenched her jaw momentarily. “I’ll play that game.”
“The others don’t need to risk themselves. They’ve seen and done enough.”
The shadows hid no secrets anymore. The two had made these roads their own. So familiar, they openly conspired in them. But the shadows had grown familiar too.
“...”
Manalo and a couple of other men were returning from Kalubay, an empty cart dragged by a buffalo was evidence of some sort of transaction. They took the coastal path - quite the scenic route illuminated by the red full moon - trudging by a rocky hill along the coastline. Given that he was returning with nothing, one couldn't tell the nature of his visit. In the midst of employing a brisk pace to avoid being caught or followed under Ipte’s gaze, he realized too late that a tall Virangish woman stood right in his way.
“Manalo.” Zarina spoke in a deep and solemn voice.
The man nearly fell back. In spite of his size, the woman before him was quite literally built differently. It felt like he had walked into a metal pole that had erected right in front of him. “Z-Zarina?” he remembered her name.
He also saw her small horns, her slightly thinned pupils and small, black scales on her hands and parts of her cheek. To him, she looked like a demon.
“You should not be here.”
“It for food.” he made an eating gesture. “No have enough. Need deal!” the other two kept silent. They were reasonably terrified.
Zarina shot an evaluative look at each of them. “You have Sirmerd to help. This place is dangerous.”
“No trust. No trust Pirang.”
“And me? Maki trusts me.”
Manalo hesitated for a moment. “I help my people. Need me. No only Marawan.”
Zarina clenched her jaw. She then looked over his shoulder. “If they find you, they might kill you. And then,” she inhaled deeply, clearly frustrated. “you don’t want them to pay attention to Marawan.”
“What they?!”
“Virang. Ertan Kashani.”
Manalo snarled and spat on the floor. “No afraid him. He come, I tell truth! I no bad man.” he stiffened, chest puffed after inhaling deeply. Fears were purged as he recited a perfectly articulated line. “I will not kneel.”
“The things they’ll do, Manalo …” the dragon shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t let you screw this up. Not after all I’ve done.”
Behind them, she opened a portal. They could see the beach of Marawan on the other side. Magic they had never seen before.
“Sorry. Normally I’d arrest you. But Marawan needs you. And I don’t trust my own people to treat you well.”
Before Manalo could say another word, an unseen force pushed the group of men and the cattle pulling the wagon into the wormhole. “Stay away from Kalubay.” she warned.
The young Virangish sighed, palm over her forehead. She had nearly had a crisis scenario. After a short break, she began to hover and orient herself toward the soon-to-be claimed city. Surely the vanguard would have arrived at the rendez-vous by now, she thought.
“YO!”
Zarina nearly lost her gravitational balance. “Eshit, you nearly had me look like a fool!”
“Self-acceptance does wonders for the soul.” Fedouah stuck her tongue out as she hovered at Zarina’s level.
“Kiss my ass, you’re supposed to be with the boss.” flying resumed in spite of her complaint.
“Yeah, well, I figured if the big bad dragon with the time thingie-bobs is going somewhere, it’s the place to be.” with flames blasting out of her feet and palms, Fedouah matched Zarina’s levitation fairly easily.
“Even with Kashani lurking about soon? By the way, good form.” Zarina nudged her chin toward the youth’s feet, complimenting her levitation.
“If that list of seventeen maidens is true, maybe it’ll actually be interesting.” Fedouah flashed a cheeky smirk. “Oh, dude, thanks. I’ve been practicing this for a bit, so I’m not always lagging behind when you’re zipping about.”
“Believe it or not, I sucked major Shune ass when I started. Had a good teacher, though.” Zarina sighed as she reminisced.
The fireball smiled. “I mean, your advice worked. Maybe you’d be a better teacher than a-” she drew a circle with her pointer finger. “Y’know, convince dumdums to do what’s best for them?”
“You say that, huh? Maybe you’re right. Luckily, I get the choice of not giving them a choice.” she crossed her arms, slowly landing to stop their exercise for the time being. “Any chance we keep this between us?”
Fedouah shrugged. “I dunnoooo,” said shrugged rose and rose as did her voice and a bloody tear began to fall from her left eye. “maybe if you teach me a little bit of that special magic …?” cheeky little shit.
Zarina scoffed and laughed. “Maybe. Maybe. When we get back, I’ll give you the special Jocasta ride.” she proposed with a smile that showed surrender.
“Sweet!” the young fireblood fist-pumped.
Zarina squinted. “What is up with your eye?”
Fedouah’s eye was now bloodshot and the red tear had reached her jaw. She furrowed her eyebrows and reached up to touch her damp cheek. As she saw the blood, she flinched. “What the f-”
Suddenly, Fedouah’s head exploded. A piece of her skull sliced through Zarina's cheek, while most of her face was covered in blood and brains. Naturally, she flinched too. Then she was wide eyed. The headless body fell immediately to the dirt, nearly falling off the hill by the path.
“I was hoping to take you both, but alas you are not a calamity to these people for nothing. I apologize for subjecting you to this cruelty.”
Hovering perfectly still before the red moon of Ipte was a woman cloaked in white and wearing a blue mask with black, wicked eyes and even darker tears. Where Zarina appeared as a demon to the common folks, this interloper came off as a ghost to the dumbfounded dragon.
“I have come to kill you, Zarina Al-Nader. Then the rest of that vile woman’s ensemble.”
The dragon of Virang ripped her Hocho 99 from the bowels of space and time. The masked entity did nothing to try and stop it.
“And Kalubay will be free from you.”
Zarina charged in with a roar. Terrified, disgusted, sad, angry. Every powerful emotion pushed through the domineering impression this assassin had imposed.
“Still just a child.”
“Manalo.” Zarina spoke in a deep and solemn voice.
The man nearly fell back. In spite of his size, the woman before him was quite literally built differently. It felt like he had walked into a metal pole that had erected right in front of him. “Z-Zarina?” he remembered her name.
He also saw her small horns, her slightly thinned pupils and small, black scales on her hands and parts of her cheek. To him, she looked like a demon.
“You should not be here.”
“It for food.” he made an eating gesture. “No have enough. Need deal!” the other two kept silent. They were reasonably terrified.
Zarina shot an evaluative look at each of them. “You have Sirmerd to help. This place is dangerous.”
“No trust. No trust Pirang.”
“And me? Maki trusts me.”
Manalo hesitated for a moment. “I help my people. Need me. No only Marawan.”
Zarina clenched her jaw. She then looked over his shoulder. “If they find you, they might kill you. And then,” she inhaled deeply, clearly frustrated. “you don’t want them to pay attention to Marawan.”
“What they?!”
“Virang. Ertan Kashani.”
Manalo snarled and spat on the floor. “No afraid him. He come, I tell truth! I no bad man.” he stiffened, chest puffed after inhaling deeply. Fears were purged as he recited a perfectly articulated line. “I will not kneel.”
“The things they’ll do, Manalo …” the dragon shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t let you screw this up. Not after all I’ve done.”
Behind them, she opened a portal. They could see the beach of Marawan on the other side. Magic they had never seen before.
“Sorry. Normally I’d arrest you. But Marawan needs you. And I don’t trust my own people to treat you well.”
Before Manalo could say another word, an unseen force pushed the group of men and the cattle pulling the wagon into the wormhole. “Stay away from Kalubay.” she warned.
The young Virangish sighed, palm over her forehead. She had nearly had a crisis scenario. After a short break, she began to hover and orient herself toward the soon-to-be claimed city. Surely the vanguard would have arrived at the rendez-vous by now, she thought.
“YO!”
Zarina nearly lost her gravitational balance. “Eshit, you nearly had me look like a fool!”
“Self-acceptance does wonders for the soul.” Fedouah stuck her tongue out as she hovered at Zarina’s level.
“Kiss my ass, you’re supposed to be with the boss.” flying resumed in spite of her complaint.
“Yeah, well, I figured if the big bad dragon with the time thingie-bobs is going somewhere, it’s the place to be.” with flames blasting out of her feet and palms, Fedouah matched Zarina’s levitation fairly easily.
“Even with Kashani lurking about soon? By the way, good form.” Zarina nudged her chin toward the youth’s feet, complimenting her levitation.
“If that list of seventeen maidens is true, maybe it’ll actually be interesting.” Fedouah flashed a cheeky smirk. “Oh, dude, thanks. I’ve been practicing this for a bit, so I’m not always lagging behind when you’re zipping about.”
“Believe it or not, I sucked major Shune ass when I started. Had a good teacher, though.” Zarina sighed as she reminisced.
The fireball smiled. “I mean, your advice worked. Maybe you’d be a better teacher than a-” she drew a circle with her pointer finger. “Y’know, convince dumdums to do what’s best for them?”
“You say that, huh? Maybe you’re right. Luckily, I get the choice of not giving them a choice.” she crossed her arms, slowly landing to stop their exercise for the time being. “Any chance we keep this between us?”
Fedouah shrugged. “I dunnoooo,” said shrugged rose and rose as did her voice and a bloody tear began to fall from her left eye. “maybe if you teach me a little bit of that special magic …?” cheeky little shit.
Zarina scoffed and laughed. “Maybe. Maybe. When we get back, I’ll give you the special Jocasta ride.” she proposed with a smile that showed surrender.
“Sweet!” the young fireblood fist-pumped.
Zarina squinted. “What is up with your eye?”
Fedouah’s eye was now bloodshot and the red tear had reached her jaw. She furrowed her eyebrows and reached up to touch her damp cheek. As she saw the blood, she flinched. “What the f-”
Suddenly, Fedouah’s head exploded. A piece of her skull sliced through Zarina's cheek, while most of her face was covered in blood and brains. Naturally, she flinched too. Then she was wide eyed. The headless body fell immediately to the dirt, nearly falling off the hill by the path.
“I was hoping to take you both, but alas you are not a calamity to these people for nothing. I apologize for subjecting you to this cruelty.”
Hovering perfectly still before the red moon of Ipte was a woman cloaked in white and wearing a blue mask with black, wicked eyes and even darker tears. Where Zarina appeared as a demon to the common folks, this interloper came off as a ghost to the dumbfounded dragon.
“I have come to kill you, Zarina Al-Nader. Then the rest of that vile woman’s ensemble.”
The dragon of Virang ripped her Hocho 99 from the bowels of space and time. The masked entity did nothing to try and stop it.
“And Kalubay will be free from you.”
Zarina charged in with a roar. Terrified, disgusted, sad, angry. Every powerful emotion pushed through the domineering impression this assassin had imposed.
“Still just a child.”
