Shattered Bow, Splintered Wood (open)

[Shena'doah]

Shena ducked slightly as he turned around and she nearly collided into a clenched fist that was now held up. ”What in the world was…” her voice trailed off as though a stray wind had taken her breath from her. Once turned around and sort of hovering behind Hirem, she could see the small group of men. It wasn’t an immediate reaction but it didn’t take long for Shena to recognize at least one of them. What they wanted was a mystery to her since Emi was no longer with them at the moment and hopefully waiting around the campsite.

Hirem’s words frustrated her and she gave him a dirty look behind his back. Her gaze fluttered back towards the small group and studied them for a quick moment. ”I’m afraid we don’t have the horse any longer but if you try anything I’ll scream for the guards.” It was meant to make them think otherwise though judging by the knowing smile that crept on their faces, her bold statement hadn’t worked. Of course there was no way she was going to draw the attention of the guards now.

The darkened smile of the one who seemed to be leading the group turned into a sneer. ”Go ahead and scream your pretty little head off.” He stepped forward and into the moonlight and Shena’s eyes widened a bit when she noticed a very obvious dark circle surrounding his left eye. Then she grinned proudly, realizing one of her rocks that she hurled had definitely made contact. That grin quickly dissipated at the man’s next words, ”Just give us your pretty little partner there and we won’t cause you any trouble aye?”

She didn’t need any further warning, Shena turned around and started running, nearly colliding with a huddled person on the corner as she slid to a stop and entered a building. Since she didn’t turn any corners, she didn’t even bother shutting the door behind her and quickly found herself stepping over bodies that hardly even seemed conscious.

[Hirem]

Hirem wished he could follow Shena, or at least tell where she was, but if he even lifted his gaze from these men for even an instant, they would be sure to take the advantage they had. A blow always did more damage when the victim was confused and wasn't expecting the strike. Because of that, Hirem kept his eyes square on these people, slowly backing up the street. He tried to make himself look as imposing as possible, but with his wound on his leg, they kept moving forward, grinning and cracking their knuckles.

Hirem cleared his throat, and began, in a large, booming voice, "Take one more step, and it will be your last. I have fought with Jackals; you are nothing." Half-bluster, half truth, but these men didn't seem to take the bluff, advancing with leering smiles and rocks in their sleeves. No chance fighting them all at once... but this street is narrow. I can choke them into fighting me one on one.

An angry cry leapt from the lips of an Eypharian men in the lead, and he rushed forward to attack Hirem. His tight, dirty tunic clung to his skin, and his eyes were wild. Criminal eyes. His multiple arms were flailing in the dark, and Hirem prepared himself to strike.
Hit them first, hit them fast, and hit them fierce.

Hirem quickly threw a large fist into the man's body, one that connected like a hammer hitting a bell. The Eypharian man groaned in pain, stumbling back from his opponent. Hirem took this opportunity, and hurried forward, grabbing the man's tunic with both of his large hands.

The man widened his eyes in horror as Hirem used his grip to throw the man to the side with all his might, tossing him like a large sack into the wall. One groan and the man fell limp, collapsing beside the large stone barricade.

And now the dance begins in full.

[Shena'doah]

It was dark and Shena could hardly see three feet in front of her, which was possibly a good thing. Every now and then she would trip over something she assumed to be a person laying on the floor judging from the muffled groans. After a few times of doing this, she gave up apologizing. To add to reasons why it was a good thing that vision was very limited was the rank smell of bad hygiene. And if she wasn’t mistaken, she swore she could hear the light scratching against some type of wood grain just above the noise of the occasional groan.

It seemed like hours had passed and Shena didn’t even know if she’d made any progress. The only light source of light was from the open doorway but even that was limited. Shena drew in a deep breath and quickly regretted it as she breathed in the moist air and immediately coughed. ”That was a mistake.” she croaked, a hand pressed against her chest as she regained her composure and tried again to look around. Still nothing so she just kept going in the same direction and hoped to come to a wall of some sort eventually.

An uncomforting thought crossed her mind as she realized that the odd scratching noise was getting closer. After continuing forward a moment, something brushed against her ankle and she nearly tripped over her own feet trying to move and get away from whatever it might have bit. The only think she could think of was that it was a huge rat. In the frenzy to try and move perhaps a bit too quickly in complete darkness, she tripped and fell forward with a small yelp.

The floor was definitely not soft and she hit it hard, just barely sticking her hands out in front of her to catch her fall but the delayed reaction did nothing that could be considered helpful. She would have just stayed where she was if she didn’t feel something start making its way up her leg, something that felt an awful lot like a hand. She turned over on her back and kicked out with her heel at whatever or whoever it was as hard as she could. Her foot hit something rather solid but she heard a garbled sound and then something landing on the floor near her with a small thud. ”I need to get out of here…” she gasped in slight horror at the situation and scrambled to her feet.

Her thoughts went out to Hirem right then as she considered going back the way she came. She ran forward with her hands out in front of her and stopped suddenly as something caught her eye. Light. It was minute but it was there and she studied it’s surrounding. Stairs!! she thought to herself and charged right for them and nearly screamed when she heard the blasted scratching again.

Ooc: I could have continued but I’m gonna stagger this post rather than write a book

[Hirem]

Hirem felt his back smash against the wall, and his face contorted into pain as the fist rammed into his cheek. Blood spurted out from his mouth as his head swung back, eyes watering with agony. His two attackers barred their teeth and both lashed out with savage kicks to his weak form. Hirem was almost beat.

These two were the last remaining opponents, but they had both ganged up on the Benshiran and started to attack him as one, giving him hard bruises, snapped bones and a bloody nose. His head was swimming as the two continued to kick and punch him, a red haze going over his surroundings.

Pain had effectively made him limp, his limbs hanging loosely at his sides. He tried to muster up the strength to lift them, but then a strike to his forehead would send all his thoughts scattering like a wind blowing away precious notes. Come, damn you. You are a warrior of Yahal. Act like it!

With an inhuman scream of rage, Hirem lifted his arms and wrapped his fingers tight against the throat's of his opponents. They weren't expecting this from the battered Hirem, but he was in a fit of adrenaline and anger, ready to do anything.

He pushed himself over into them, pushing them onto the ground as he sank to his knees in the middle of them. In each of his hands was their necks, their bodies squirming to be free of the iron grip. They would kick and thrash about, but Hirem didn't let up in his deadly choke, keeping his now iron eyes upon their scared, animal pupils.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, their eyes rolled back and they stopped moving about, going deathly still. Hirem let his pained hands free, breathing deeply in the cool air. When he gathered his senses, he offered a quick prayer to Yahal before pushing himself up, drawing a sharp intake of pain at the process, and slowly made his way to where Shena had gone, following her distinct trail.

She had run into some abandoned house, but when Hirem entered the doorway, he was surprised to hear the moans and groans of a multitude of sleeping folk. His nose assaulted by the sudden rancid stench, Hirem made his way carefully through the bodies, careful not to alert anyone.

He didn't know how far he had gotten, how many things had brushed against his legs or whispered in the dark, when he heard some more breathing, but one that was forceful, quicker. He had no idea where he was, the only thing of notice in his vision was a small sliver of light. "Shena?"

[Shena'doah]

The room up above at a bit more pleasing to the senses. The smell hadn’t made its way up the stairs by some miraculous feat. The air was still moist which made it sort of difficult to breath in the peak of stress. Though her body was in slight shock and sort of frozen to the spot momentarily, her gaze shot across the room, glad that she could at least make out the various shapes within. The best feature was the windows, both of which seeming have to have a balcony of some sort.

In a frenzied hurry, she rushed towards the window and pushed it open and practically fell out onto the small balcony that couldn’t be more than a few paces wide. Her hands grasped the iron railing and peered down the alley below to only see a group of men crumpled in various places on the ground. Thankfully, none of them looked like Hirem, which alarmed her as well. ”Hirem!” she whispered as loudly as she could. When nothing within the alley matching his figure moved in response, she smacked the railing in frustration and turned back into the room and headed back for the stairs even though that was the last place she wanted to go.

She had made it half of the way down when she heard a voice ask her name and she nearly sat down in relief. ”I’m right here. Follow me I have an idea and promise me you won’t think I’m crazy…” she said almost cheerfully at the idea of getting out of this place. Shena waited until she was sure Hirem saw her and was heading for the stairs, she disappeared back up into the room upstairs and went back to the window while she waited for Hirem. Facing the wall that acted as a shield and border of the city, Shena tried to consider her idea as a logical one.

When Hirem entered the room she hovered on the balcony anxiously. ”We can jump the wall!” she exclaimed excitedly in a hushed voice as she looked up towards the rooftop to judge whether or not she could climb up or if she would need his help. ”We just have to climb up onto the roof…”

[Hirem]

When Hirem, his face pale from exhaustion and a ferocious bout of fighting, had finally entered onto the balcony and seen the dreadful wall that was in way like a giant boulder, his face almost became pure white as he blanched idea. Climbing it from the ground was bad enough, but jumping onto it...

However, when Hirem was about to voice his doubts at her seemingly impossible plan, his eyes fell upon her bright face. This was as good a plan as they were going to get, he thought, and he bit his lip. She needed him now, and he couldn't show fear, even if faced with a dreading fear. It will be Yahal's wish whether I succeed or fail. I must do this.

He glanced up the thin terracotta roof above them, and tried to reach out with his fingers towards it. He did have to stand on his toes to reach it, but he could reach it, that was a good thing. Shena, however, was much shorter than him...

He sighed, and placed a hand under her shoulder, firmly tightening his grip. His other took hold her of her thigh, and, quickly so as to avoid any angry slaps or fits, he quickly hoisted her up above the ground, groaning with the effort. He lifted her up high enough to safely grab hold of the roof and climb up, and he grunted with the exhaustion it placed upon his tired frame. "Climb up, Shena. I'll follow."

[Shena'doah]

Her head tilted to the side slightly as the color seemed to leave his face completely as he joined her out on the balcony. From her point of view, she considered herself a pretty decent runner and had a higher chance of jumping and surviving simply because it was quicker. ”You know you look kind of sick… how’s your leg holding up?”

Shena found herself asking the question as she was being hoisted up. She huffed slightly but complied and grabbed hold of anything she could get a good grip on and hoisted herself up by swinging her leg up and over the edge and then the rest of her body. ”Can you make it up?” she asked, laying on her stomach and peering over the edge of the roof.

When she realized that she might possibly be in the way, she got up and moved away from the edge in a slightly crouched position. When she reached the center of the roof she stood up and looked around and smiled to herself. ”From here you wouldn’t think this place is so bad…” she said to herself, amazed by all the flickering lights.

[Hirem]

Hirem nodded with the satisfaction of a job done once Shena disappeared over the roof, and stretched his arms. That was one person over, now it was up to him to climb up the roof. He debated how he would go about this, making a point of ignoring her comments. He huffed for a second as he formulated a plan, and went about it instantly.

He slowly set his leg onto the railing, quivering with the balance as he used the leverage to slightly push himself up, closer to the roof. He grabbed it with both hands, his other leg dangling in space as he summoned the strength necessary to achieve this. He grunted as he pulled his body up, both his legs hanging in mid-air as he managed to get his belly onto the roof.

After a bit of work, he was laying on the roof, all his body parts safe and without any lasting damage. He breathed in relief and pushed himself up, disoriented by the sudden sense of height that this roof gave him. He swayed slightly, but shook himself free of this confusion and put a hand over his brow, eyes squinting into the glowing city of lights. "Appearances can be pretty. Personality is a very different matter."

Hirem turned to the wall, and surveyed the area, placing a mental figure of himself into a leap towards the wall... and it smashed against it, falling to the ground. However, he supposed that if he took a full run, he could reach the upper half of the wall, and perhaps find a handhold. It would still be a hard venture. "So, how do you suggest we go about this?"

[Shena'doah]

She heard a slight scuffle and glanced over her shoulder at an exhausted Hirem and pursed her lips tightly. ”Maybe I should have stayed behind to help you take down those men.” she said as though she could have really done something – whether or not that might have been true was unknown. Turning back around the look at the city, she smiled and almost wanted to sit down for a while. Such a thing wouldn’t go down well with her new friend so she twisted slightly to look at the now standing Hirem. His answer to her statement on the brilliance of how the city looked at night caught her off guard slightly and she frowned slightly. ”Good think I know better or else I might have thought you were talking about me.” she said spicily and turned to look back towards the wall.

Now that she thought about it, this was kind of a crazy idea – and quickly growing even more so the longer she looked at the wall. ”I thought you might have an idea… figured you’d have some experience with escaping under your belt since you’ve got the guards after you and everything.” she remarked with her hands on her hips. ”The most I can think of is rather simple. Just run really fast and jump…”

And then hope you’ll make it as you sail through the air. Shena didn’t voice her last thought and just sighed and turned around to walk away from the wall. ”I’ll go first since… you look… bewildered.” She gave him a slightly thoughtful and worried look; he was beginning to make her nervous. It was quite the task, building up her courage, as she walked as far as she could to the other side of the building because she wanted every advantage to make it across the gap between the building and the wall. Such an advantage would require speed and the space to gain it.

She stopped and turned again to face the wall then Hirem. ”Throw me my bow when I get across.” Her thoughts went to the guards and the arrows she had flying past her earlier in the day, the group of thieves stalking them, and the creepy hand that had crept up her leg. In doing so, she thoroughly succeeded in scaring herself silly. These were all things she would be stuck with and more if she didn’t make this jump; in that case there was no way she was going to not make it.

A deep sigh and gulped before clenching her fist as well her jaw. There was no way she could scream like she normally would in such a situation so she didn’t give herself a chance to do so by immediately taking off even though her nerves were still present. Thank goodness for being light footed, she ran as fast as she could in such a short distance and just as her foot touched the edge of the building, she gave a small squeak and jumped.

The wall seemed so incredibly far away but as she drew near it, her hands reached out as her top half landed on the wall and her legs and abdomen smacked solidly against the side of the wall. The impact knocked the air completely out of her and she hung there gasping for a moment until she caught her breath, almost certain she had some bruises along her rubs because they hurt. She fed her fingertips into a crack in the stone to get some leverage and they immediately began to cramp. This isn’t exactly how I planned for this to pan out.

Once she was sure she had a good grip, she swung a leg up and pulled herself the rest of the way up. Once on the wall, she rolled over on her back and sighed, one leg draped over the edge. ”That was harder than I thought it would be…”

[Hirem]

Hirem felt his heart leap up into his lungs as he watched Shena fly through the air, and for a moment his mind went through all the possible horrific deaths she could experience before she managed to pull herself on to the wall. He sighed in relief, and quickly threw her bow as hard as he could over to her, past the large gap. It sailed down into her waiting arms, and then Hirem tried to maintain a cool composure.

Yahal guides your path, he is kind to those who follow him. Meanwhile, as he backed up, another voice, one secreted in the back of his mind, stepped forward. Yahal led you to kill Osahar, a man marked by his Gnosis. Who's to say he's guiding you now? He tried to breath steadily as he reached a good distance to start his run, his conflicting emotions and thoughts growing louder and louder in his brain.

Finally, he could bear it no longer. Gritting his teeth, he burst into a large sprint, hands fully outstreched in a full on run. The wall was getting closer, the edge was getting closer... the jump was upon him... Then, his wounded leg shot up in furious pain. He winced in agony, stumbling with the next few steps. Jump now, or fall! Hirem then threw all his cares into Yahal's waiting lips and jumped from his doomed walk.

The next few moments were cold, furiously hot, numb. He felt his body fly completely through open space, wind rushing past his face. He grunted as time seemed to crawl to a standstill, his body falling steadily towards the wall. He realized with a sickening horror that he wasn't going to hit the top of the wall. The way he was falling, he was going to crash into the middle of the wall if he didn't do anything.

As he neared the hard stone, he swung his hands out for any possible handhold, face straining with the effort. He felt his left hand fit snugly into a large hole in the wall, and he immediately gripped the stone for all his worht as the rest of his body smashed into the wall.

A wave of pain cascaded over him, and he gave a quick, suprised howl of pain, nearly letting go of his grip. His body dangled uselessly below him, and his fingers immediately started to ring out in irritation. He grunted with the effort, and reached his other hand into the handhold, trying to get a better position on the wall.

Slowly, but surely, he began to climb up the precarious wall, losing his grip occasionally and almost meeting a sudden end on the ground below. Everytime he tried to move his limbs, they ached out in discomfort, and he would have to exert a great force just to lift them up. His muscles cried out, his large body almost dragging him down off the wall. Still, he had to continue up, and fight the urge to simply let him drop off and be done with it.

When he reached the top of the wall after a few agonizing minutes, he pulled himself up with great effort, and almost collapsed atop the stone in exhaustion, breathing heavily, with large, deep intakes of air. I did it! I ascended the walls of Ahnatep!