Mine! All Mine!

[Amunet]

The red head dared to look up which was a mistake. The wall of suffering was gaining in strength and it weighed on her like an anvil on her shoulders. The girl bowed her head as she grabbed the side of the wall. It was terrible. The amount of misery and terrible mounted with each passing moment. It was Waisana once more who brought her out of this fog within that wall. The blonde’s strong voice rang out with ‘ Move!’ The red head was grateful for the other medical professional more than the blonde knew. Her hands trembled as she helped her move the frightened slaves forward. She shouldered yvas and pack as her movements were slow but steady.

“Let me get up front to show the way.” The girl told the blond doctor in pavi as her hand signed quickly. ‘example, brave foot’ .

The girl squished in the mud and blood till she managed to get up the ramp a bit. The commotion behind them made her head turn down the line as there were more slaves running to them that she hadn’t counted on. There was no time to figure out where they came from. “Come, this way.” The girl voice rose a bit shaky but growing in strength of resolve. Her shoulders strengthened more as her heavy legs plowed up the rounded curve that came to a flattened shelf that overlooked that section of the mine. The crates and boxes were scattered about as she put her hand on one and bowed her head and braced her weight half way as the wave of suffering threatened to overtake her senses again. She would rather have the heavy burden of her supply packs. The one slave she had healed put a hand on her back. The Healer swallowed hard as she looked at him to nod. “Boxes need make barrier at edge “ The girl pointed as she straightened up.

The girl didn’t wait for the slave as she started to try and move a box towards the edge to create some visual blockage and obscurity. Once she had moved a couple of boxes to the edge some of the more able slaves pitched in to create the ‘wall’. Amunet then turned to Waisana. “Let’s triage what we got, seems we got a few extra. “ The red head’s eyes remained a little haunted. The girl used one of the boxes as a top to bring medical supplies out of her pack and yvas bag. “

The girl pointed at one of the newly joined slaves an asked a few questions. The blonde they described seem to indicate Jasmine. It was of no matter at all, there wasn’t a slave in this mine that didn’t need some attention of one kind or the other. The girl looked at Waisana as she took an inventory of what they had. She forced her mind to go into triage mode which was only partially successful. “We have to ease the suffering. We must.” The girl said to not really anyone. She cleared her threat as she used the sleeve to wipe what tears flowed down her face as she said firmly “We need water. “

The little healer looked at the nearest slave and knelt down to take a look at her. The little healer spoke softly in common to ease her with her gentle silken voice and kind touch. The one’s she had labeled walkie talkies which meant they were ambulatory and able to help provisionally. The ones that were so emaciated or wounded or sick to even stand was in a second category. “I don’t know what we can do for serious wounds?” she said to Waisana. What meager supplies they had for their trip she applied as frugal as possible to stretch out the supply. In the midst of their triage she stood up to look over a crate at the carnage below. She saw Aris hold up something. her head swiveled towards the one who ate a heart in front of them make a bee line towards Aris. Her heart stopped.

As she worried for her fellow Drykas, Semele voiced her unhappiness at the transaction committed upon her skin. The girl grabbed a box or piece of ground as her feet came from under her during the shaking. The slaves screamed as they huddled along a wall as many of them lost their footing. “Semele is not happy. What have they done?” The girl eyes widened and she swallowed hard.

[Prophet]

More tremors rippled through the mine but these were minor. The foreboding nature in which the frequency increased alerted anyone with half a brain that something bad was going to happen very soon. Efforts to free people became more about yelling and pointing than trying to break shackles. The bound groups quickly figured out how to move in unison. It seemed that all the motivation they needed was the realization of being sucked into Semele’s bowels until the a second Valterrian.

Sparrow was working against the Foreman in a battle of giants that had everyone giving them a wide berth. Sword and spear clashed again and again yet neither refused to yield an inch even despite the shaking soil upon which they stood. The Watchman was smaller but his weapon had greater reach and thus the overall advantage but the Foreman more than made up for being kept at bay with incredible footwork and swordsmanship unmatched save for Big Boss Widowsong. Every near miss brought grins and every close call released a growl as each behemoth struggled to overtake his opponent.

The femme fatales who had been laughing and tearing apart slaves found themselves wanting to leave but were faced with the difficult decision of trying to go across the rift or past the warrior women who had emerged from the tunnel. One had a very wild look about her that was framed neatly by her brown hair while the other was tall with dark skin that was marked with scars of an intentional manner. Several aftershocks rumbled so close together that it nearly felt to be one long quake. Girlilla and Wild Kat looked at each other and then their options once more as the ground continued to shake. The two silhouettes seemed frozen in time save for the blood dripping from their weapons.

Aris and Deathspark stepped up amidst the unstable terrain. With a quick sign, the mute told Aris to run. He seemed to understand that whatever Aris held is what the evil, aorta-chewing man wanted. The Tavekh agreed but he was too late. Allistar and two of his guard descended upon the duo of do-gooders with a thunderous fury. Deathspark went for the boss but was cut off by two large men waving about broadswords. The bald and marred individual smiled a grin of twisted ire. His opponents did not have the skill to hold him for long. A series of quick steps and quicker slashes left one of the guards clutching his throat as blood ran between his fingers. The man staggered around for a moment and then fell on his face; lifeless. The second fiend thought he had an advantage and came with a powerful down swing but the wiry Drykas rolled towards his attacker. Upon coming up towards his base, both daggers were pushed up and out until they sank to the hilts into the man’s ribs. This trauma froze him and the strike in mid-swing. It was only after Deathspark had risen and removed his blades that the guard fell.

Aris was not so fortunate. His lone blade against the skill, precision and ridiculously talented footwork of the demon Widowsong had him back peddling and scampering to find ways to avoid being sliced. An odd looking duel, Aris clutched the mortar and Allistar continued to eat at the heart occasionally flipping it towards the Drykas for giggles. Clearly overmatched, Aris was scouring the scene for a way to make a break for it when Deathspark intervened on his behalf.

The two men managed to even out fairly well against the master swordsman. Allistar was growing frustrated and the Drykas were intensely focused on their strikes trying to create openings for each other. The combatants were so enthralled with one another that they hadn’t noticed the tremors had ceased. Everyone else did, however, and was running in every direction that led away from the cursed place.

A sudden creak and hollow roar ripped through the air. The chamber from whence the Drykas had come collapsed and a huge hole, big enough to swallow a hundred people, opened in the earth. The collapse continued while the ground shook violently. Aris fell forward and Allistar as well; the latter having better awareness and control twisted his arm to drive the blade deep into his opponent. The mute Tunnel Guardian leapt forth and impaled himself upon the blade and catching Aris at the same time. He gurgled and his eyes welled up with tears of pain and a strange relief as he stared at the Watchman.

In Aris’ moment of absolute bewilderment, he clung to his silent comrade and forgot the mortar which fell to the ground and bounced away. The lithe Widowsong danced with the shaking earth and found himself in possession of the one thing the entire circus had come for; the artifact. He was soon gone as was nearly everyone else but the dead.

Aris was frozen as he held the dying man in his arms. A last movement revealed a key in Deathspark’s hand. Three tears streamed down his face at the sacrifice and in the back of his consciousness Aris was vaguely aware of a voice calling his name. Through much effort, Sparrow was able to reach his leader and drag him away as more soil and mud fell into the ever-growing chasm. The pair made it beyond the collapsed pocket and began to run off after the others into the Sea of Grass.

NoteI will make one more post when everyone has had a chance to escape a certain and most unfavorable doom.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

A sudden shaking caused the woman to break the chain attached to the ground. Quickly telling them how to work together they climbed out racing off. Fighting the large quake Jasmine managed to get up to the top of the hole before falling over into the mud losing her footing. Landing with a loud plop the blonde quickly forced herself up and watched in horror at what was going on. Semele had become angry at her children that she once protected from the great war. Several tears fell from her eyes as the woman panted before shaking it off and running towards the grass. Everything in her told the blonde to flee without looking back, but she turned and spotted Aris going around helping. Searching still the woman found the pair she was searching for. Amunet and Waisana were still trying to help slaves into the tunnels.

Making a break for the two women another round of shaking hit. Thankfully these were not nearly as strong as before. Wobbling some the blonde used her arms to hold herself up right. The mark from Syna lit up warning the woman of the two crazy looking attackers. Stopping behind a wagon the mark stopped glowing; panting the blond let herself have a few chimes to regain her focus. After regaining her focus the woman resumed and made it over to the other two females as the large rift began to enlarge. Turning the woman saw it and saw the battle between the Watch members, grunts, and man eating the heart. Bile rose in the woman's throat, but she gulped it down forcing herself not to puke. She could not show weakness and fear in front of those who had suffered through this torment.

“Run! We must run! Get the slaves quickly. Semele is trying to swallow this place and any unfortunate enough to be caught,” Jasmine said looking at the two girls before her.

She helped get the wounded and sick out and far into the grass. Once they were safe she ran back to help get more from the tunnel opening. Panting hard the blonde ignored the burning in her lungs and screaming of her muscles. She was on autopilot fighting to help those who had suffered enough. Another set of quakes hit once again making her nearly fall down the hill. Going into the opening she helped another with a broken leg out. The two just barely dodged the boulders that sealed off the tunnel. Holding back a scream the blonde helped get the person up and to the group.

“It's sealed. Huge rocks fell sealing off the entrance,” Jasmine said panting looking at the two women.

Turning back to the scene Jasmine knew there was nothing more she could do. Semele had taken control of the fight now. Helping keeping the terrified slaves calm the woman turned when Aris and Sparrow ran up to the group of people.

[Ixzo]

She saw the wild glint in the woman's eyes, one that Ixzo was sure would make her Myrian's proud. She might not have even been mad if the woman had attacked her for such a move, it only made her choice that much more obvious. The strong will survive.

Before she could flash a sharp grin of exhilaration at her new hunting partner, someone fell onto her arm. Reflective silver eyes turned sharply as her skin bristled under the grimy touch. She did not have so much self-control as the human did. Without thinking, the lioness threw her shoulder back, whipped her arm up with an excessive force to rip the clinging person from her limb.

The man fell back to the dusty, rubble beneath and she saw the daze in his eyes as he was shocked from the violence. Her nose stung with the odor of his pain, but the predator could not stop to evaluate. She did not care for this stranger, even as it was immediately evident that he was not her attacker.

"Get back, imbecile." The Pavi words came out with ease as little more than a snarl, and she twisted on the balls of her feet, unwilling to stray too far from her hunting partner. With a tense finger she directed the man towards the tunnel. Either age or hard work had weakened his muscles and joints, and she did not want him to slow her down. "If you want freedom, take it!" She advised, still in a growl. She had missed something in this exchange, and turned back to see the brunette woman, (hadn't her name started with an 'M'?) grappling with another.

Like a dance, the wild Drykas and the enemy curved around each other's blades, and Ixzo was uncertain where to reach in. She was not the most confident with her own blades, but it was clear that they were more useful in such a close fight. When the golden green eyes fell upon her own silver ones though, there was less hesitation.

Where she had been standing, she immediately turned halfway away, as if ignoring the fight. This was not her traditional stealth that she would use to sneak up on prey, as there was nothing to hide behind, no trick to play. Instead she had only to escape the man's notice. Still, like she would ignore the easy prey at a watering hole, she sauntered past the grappling pair, eyes on those around her rather than her partner's enemy.

Only when she was certain he hadn't noticed her, not that he could focus on much more than the wild woman's blade, did the lioness twist. With the ease of a fish in the water, the balls of her feet bore the movement, digging into the dusty earth beneath. Aiming to relax her aggression, instead Ixzo used the patience of the hunt, extended her axe out with the length of her arm.

Using the axe like a hook, although it was meant for throwing, she latched the inner end of the blade on his shoulder. She lurched him back, a powerful action given her height, dragging him away from Mere. She had no idea how the Drykas warrior would continue to attack him, so she steered clear of her partner's rightful place.

The sudden attack disjointed the slaver, and while the jerk did not put him on the ground, he stumbled back a bit. With her other blade, she thrust the waved metal forward, letting the harsh barbaric weapon slip easily into the flesh between his ribs, sliding past his spine.

The jolt of giddiness that came with such a move spread a thirsty grin across the huntress' face, and hoping to share her new joy with her new partner, she winked. A quick purr bubbled between her lips, and she dropped her axe off the man's shoulder, leaning away from the scimitar wielding barbarian. This was not her fight, after all.

The huntress keenly ducked out of the way, taking her axe with her. She could spare no more attention for the Drykas woman, but she did not doubt that she was capable to finish him. Turning her back to the ending battle, Ixzo searched for the heart-eating man once more.

Chaos surrounded her, and she felt at home. Had Myri not prepared her for this environment? With strange explosions shaking the ground and stranger humans taking advantage of the action for ceaseless violence, she found a clear head in this panic. Like the tick before she lunged for a hunt, she relied on instinct to take over the choices that she had made up to this point. Ixzo knew this to be her second battle, but the new warrior was keenly aware that it was not one she should continue in. With the handful of Drykas who had come through the tunnels, they faced hundreds of other bodies. Even if these bodies were not all attacking them, there were too many to justify going further from safety.

Her eyes caught sight of a struggling child. She recognized his Dhani descent, which should have disgusted her as she approached. He struggled with the manacles of an older Dhani, perhaps his brother, but neither could aide him. Children.

"Go!" She roared at the child, yanking the small frame from his brother and setting him in the direction of the tunnels, away from the fights. With no idea if it would work, she roughly spread the ankles of the Dhani, then quickly brought her axe down on it with full force. To her satisfaction, the chain gave way, yet she did not miss the chink it took out of her blade either.

With dread she realized she had given up fighting to help those without hope. Priskil, I do this for you. She reminded herself, feeling the reassurance where she was connected to her Goddess. She might've been raised by Myri, but she could not fail Priskil by ignoring those she knew she could help. It seemed each bone in her body fought this urge to help the slaves, and yet she could not force herself to do anything less.

Another rumble fell through the ground, and she knew it was time to go. She may be stupidly competitive, but the Kelvic knew when it was time to flee, she was no idiot. Silver eyes flashed back towards the laughing chaotic girls once more, and flicked across a blonde mass in her vision. One last slave that she would take with her. Without thinking, the lioness dropped her axe, leaving the now freed Dhani to fend for himself, and clutched the arm of the woman before her.

"Time to go." She rushed a snarl, turning back to finding her Drykas warrior. Time to go! She signed urgently, watching what was left of the brunette's opponent slump to the ground. She extended her other palm to her in offering, giving her only a tick to take it or not before the long huntress was running towards the caves, desperately clutching the hands of the two girls to take with her.

Myrian | Pavi "Speech" Sign | Common | PC/NPC "Speech" Sign

[Waisana]

It was utter chaos. There was screaming, shouting and terror, a terror so infectious that the blonde found herself shuddering with it. She didn't want to be in this place anymore but she had a job to do. Waisana wouldn't shy away from this like a spooked horse when there were people to help. Just if they had an opportunity to get out of here sooner rather than later, she'd gladly take it. The amount of adrenaline coursing through her probably wasn't helping matters. She was jittery as she tried to get the slaves into some sort of shape, hoping to bring some order to the chaos. Amunet had ducked ahead to lead the way and that seemed to be helping matters, but the situation was still far from simple. These were strangers to her, yet their fates were in her hands and that was utterly terrifying to the Drykas teen. The doctor was attempting to assert some authority but she honestly didn't know what she was doing; she wasn't a leader.

Amunet seemed to have decided on a course of action, however, as she had directed the slaves to surround their position with boxes to offer them some protection from the fighting. The blonde didn't know whether to help the slaves with their task or see what the redhead needed. Her companion made up her mind however, as she pointed out that they needed to decide which of the slaves would take priority for medical care. The healer was sorting supplies and so it made sense that Waisana should be the one to sort people. It was a grim task and the responsibility of it sat uneasily on her young shoulders. Organising them was a difficult task as she needed their cooperation if this endeavour was going to move quickly and efficiently. She grabbed a box and moved it to a point at the head of the crowd before clambering onto it.

"Hey!" she yelled in Common over the noise, cupping her hands around her mouth in an effort to amplify the sound. Heads turned her way and she waved her hands wildly over her head to garner further attention, screaming her throat raw as she tried to be heard.

"I need to know who is hurt. I'm a doctor, I can help!"

Her announcement led to anxious stirring in the crowd before many of them started pushing forward eagerly towards her, each clamouring for attention until she was surrounded. She found herself shrieking incoherently as she tried to clear space around her and stop them from push her off her pedestal in her desperation.

"Not all at once, no! In front of me! Stand there and let me see you!" she called, gesturing madly in the hopes that they'd get the message and she could examine them. A few of the slaves grasped what was going on and fought the others into some semblance of order. There was no neat line before her but the push was a lot less and she could make out individuals now rather than simply seeing the faceless, relentless force of a mob coming towards her. She separated the wounded, moving those with minor wounds that merely needed cleaning and maybe some stitching to one side. Those ones she could handle by herself whereas those of a more serious nature, the ones that required a healer, she directed towards Amunet. She didn't think that Amunet had been blessed by Rak'keli in a way that could work miracles, but at least she could clean the truly severe wounds far better than Waisana could. The patients that the doctor took on were those that a single-marked healer could deal with easily - provided that they had the energy, of course.

Those who had lost limbs or parts of them, who had broken or shattered bones and more serious conditions, left Waisana at a loss. Her companion had obviously been thinking along the same lines, looking for answers that she didn't expect to find, not from the girl anyway. "We do what we can," she told her in Pavi. However, what they could do in these conditions seemed to be relatively little. They needed water and while there were areas where water had been kept for the slaves, many of those were situated where there was fighting taking place. They needed to have a fire going to boil water, heat implements, cauterise wounds but they couldn't risk it when they might have to move at any moment. What was the point of investing time and effort into a fire that would be no use to them? Instead, she hurried, doing her best to deal with the many injuries without the necessary supplies. The main thing she had at her disposal was cloth and that was only because she was willing to rip swathes of it off the tattered clothing of the slaves themselves. If someone was bleeding then she tied a tourniquet and then applied as much pressure to the wound as she could before tying that in place as well. In the long term, such treatment would kill them but these desperate measures only needed to last until they got out of here and could take care of these people properly.

When the vibrations began below her feet, she realised that trouble was brewing. The ground shook hard enough to rock her where she stood so that she wobbled back and forth and felt as if her footing was ready to go out from under her. She found herself searching for something solid to grab onto, grasping desperately so that she wouldn't fall. The shaking died down a bit but continued its trembling to a degree that it couldn't be forgotten about. Bits of the mine were crumbling, little clumps of dirt shaken loose from the ceiling and walls making the place dusty and obscuring their vision somewhat.

"Amunet! Amunet!" she called in terrified Pavi as she rushed over to the healer. Unsafe. Danger "I think we must get these people out. We cannot go back to the tunnels or they might come down on our heads. We need to get out into the air!" She wrung her hands before her, casting anxious glances around her as if expecting the ceiling to collapse upon them at any moment. She could see where they would need to go, where they would have to run. A chasm was beginning to open up and as Jasmine screamed at them, the teen stopped waiting for the redhead to decide matters for her and instead ran around the slaves to chase them out. More of them knew her now and with their help, she was able to make an effort to guide everyone out. They didn't need much encouragement however, as realising that being under earth wasn't safe, they made a break for the ground above. The injured moved with the same determination as everyone else, desperate to survive yet there were a few who could not manage the terrain at speed without help. The blonde supported a woman who was limping on a broken leg, who shrieked every time the foot of her injured leg made contact with the ground. The teen wrapped an arm around her, snaking it beneath the woman's armpits as she tried to take her weight. The woman was undernourished and therefore lighter than Waisana had been expecting but with the burden of her pack, it was too much.

"Help us! Please, help!" she called in Common. One of the other slaves took the woman's other side and between them they were able to move her a lot faster as she hopped along on her good leg. Waisana tried to keep an eye on her companion in the chaos but it was difficult to even catch a glimpse of the distinctive red hair amidst the chaos. It didn't help that she couldn't really move her head to look around herself very well as the invalid she supported had slung her arm around the doctor's neck.

It was unclear when the girl began to cry but she realised as they emerged onto the Sea of Grass and began to cross it that the breeze chilled the wetness on her face. The discovery only made her weep more, grateful to finally be returned to the land above ground. The desire to keep moving almost left her as she had the urge to just sink to the ground and roll over to stare up at the marvel of the sky. The chaos around her was a reminder of danger though and so she forced her feet forward. The rumbling of the earth continued until a violent shift occurred and the ground became eerily silent as if it had wrecked its mischief. The teen slowed her little group and manoeuvered herself so she could look back towards whence they had come. The opening seemed to be gone and Aris and Sparrow were visible as they moved to follow the larger group of Drykas and slaves. Drykas? Waisana gazed around her, searching for her compatriots, calling the names of those she knew.

"Amunet! Amunet! Where are you? Amunet! Ixzo! Ixzo!" she cried, searching frantically as she was forced to push onward.

[Amunet]

It was hard to say where one hand went and the other laid as motion was a split second decision and what seemed like a bell were only a few chimes. Semele was making herself known as the ground beneath their feet continued to rumble more frequently. There was urgency in the air as she looked past the shelf over the other side of the chasm to see several people retreating in the opening in the mine. Waisana had done a great job at triaging the sick, wounded and infirmed. The walkie talkies were not as much of an issue and could be handled later. The moderately wounded was stitched up as best as they could. What little water was had was neither potable nor sterile. The young healer would have to mitigate any further infections later as Rak’keli’s grace was applied and stitching up what she could occur. Basic breaks were splinted. Waisana’s kind words found her ears.

"We do what we can." The soft lilting Pavi caressed her ear as it brought a tear to her eyes.

She nodded as the enormity and overwhelming task lay before them. “What if it isn’t enough?” She said in Pavi a tick before switching to common to sooth the nerves of another victim.

They couldn’t play the ‘what if’ game. Semele had made that clear as she voiced her protests again sending panic amongst the infirmed in their make shift clinic. A few more arrived in their group that was pushed by their fellow Drykas towards their way, only to discover that they needed to get out of there. The mine was shaking more fervently than before.

"Amunet! Amunet!! ‘Unsafe. Danger ‘I think we must get these people out. We cannot go back to the tunnels or they might come down on our heads. We need to get out into the air!" Came the hurried and concerned words of her fellow medicine woman.

The Red head turned her head this way and that as the mass exodus was getting a bit out of hand with people running over others. It didn’t take them long to shoulder supplies. The tall willowy black slave that helped her sort people out and talk to the slaves, shouldered the other pack while Amunet had her yvas bag. The two clinicians ran along moving people along, picking people up from the ground who have fallen to keep them from being trampled. The tall willowy black slave stayed close to Amunet giving a hand along side her. Unfortunately the red headed Drykas could not spare him a Thank you. It was understood. She was losing ground as Waisana disappeared before her with a group of infirmed. The relief that she was safe was short lived as the next tick had panic and anxiety replace it. She swallowed on a dry throat several times and moved as quickly as possible. The tall willowy black slave was shouldering a male who was holding his side. One woman fell right before the little lady. Amunet walked to her side and grabbed her by the flimsy material the slave wore to get her up and supporting her if necessary to move her along.

“It is little further!!” The tall willowy black slave said to Amunet. It didn’t take a genius to know she probably couldn’t see over a number of the masses exiting.

The little lady nodded and kept moving on burning legs and burning lungs. Once they boiled up and out of the mines like ants, they kept running. Amunet kept on running till her legs collapsed. The willowy tall black slave was right there as the other slaves formed a ring around her as the lot were also gathering their breath and crouching in the grass. It was as if the crouching position could steal a bit more energy from somewhere so they could rise again. She held up a hand weakly as her lungs burned trying to get air into them that didn’t seem to be enough. One female slave put a hand on her back as if to try to ease the Drykas lady. She had no idea where they ran to or where they were at. Hopefully, it was far enough away from the mines. It took her several chimes to garnish enough breath to speak.

She pointed at the tall willowy slave who was most helpful. “You, what is name?” The girl asked.

That dark face split into a smile. “This one is Carson. “

There was a strange accent to his voice but she paid it no mind. Amunet moved to get up with some assistance. “Let me get where we are? “ She moved a little forward as the circle parted to be a half moon as she looked around. They were on a slight rise from the mines. The debris and grass made it difficult but she could hear various peoples around the area where she was at and below the rise, people were still trying to escape the mines. That little red head had no idea where on Mizahar she was at but she tried to garnish something to base a direction on. Her head swiveled this way and that to determine where north and south was at. She was no navigator, guide or expert in these sorts of situations, but these people needed direction and needed a safer spot then right here on the rise.

“Carson, let’s get everyone up to move off this rise and away further. “ The girl thought she heard Pavi as she looked in that direction. “Let’s move.” They didn’t run and she had to work through the discomfort of her abused muscles to keep those tired and sore legs moving, trudging in the knee high grass that came up mid-thigh on her. Using her sharp ears till the recognizable voice of Waisana could be heard calling her name.

“Waisana! Here!” The girl yelled as she moved her and her group towards Waisana’s group. She spoke in hurried Pavi. “I am so glad you’re safe.” The little hand and arm went to clasp the other medical professional’s forearm with a fervent passion of emotion that the both of them were indeed safe. The Healer and The Doctor looked around for the other Drykas. “I think we should keep moving. Aris and Sparrow should be able to find us. What are your thoughts on this?”

[Prophet]

When the dust settled and Semele’s shivering had ceased, Aris and Sparrow were trudging along the grasses in a southerly direction. They found countless people huddled about; terrified, deranged and exhausted. The hallowing experience would not soon be forgotten by the Watchmen and from the looks of those who tethered and followed behind they would not be alone. Despite the nightmares Aris was already having about Allistar and the colorful cloud of death, he couldn’t help but notice the crowd that had assembled behind him after a half bell’s march. His shaking hand reached up and grasped the bloody garment of his soldier, Sparrow. The bright eyes of the darker man turned and widened at the sight.

A literal parade of damaged individuals had made a column that wound through the grass. Too hard to say for sure but the young man counted up to fifty and that was maybe a third…maybe. They were in a big enough cluster that the grasses and vegetation had been trampled. “Aris.” He said softly. His hands formed several quick signs asking where his superior thought these people would go. Aris smiled and used his hands to respond in a very simple way. With us. Sparrow furrowed his brow as he was not quite sure what to think about that sort of thing. The Drykas were not very open to outsiders and with many of these folk already being slaves, the horseclans might not treat them very well. As if to read minds, Aris chuckled and continued to plod onward. “We saved them, Sparrow.” His fingers bent into a few more signs that few could see and fewer could understand. We can’t leave them to die in the Grass.

Sparrow nodded and continued to walk. He looked to the sky at the sound of thunder and quickly found a storm line growing and rolling on the horizon. He prayed to Zulrav without a sound for several chimes then he began to hum a soft chant that he prayed over and over again in his mind. After a few chimes of this, others began to join in with the hum as it helped to drive them along at a steady pace. Sparrow and Aris smiled at one another and hummed louder. The force moving through the Sea of Grass hummed a praise and a question to the Father of Storms. Would their prayers be answered?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several bells later, the groan of aches and pains, exhaustion and dehydration had overtaken the humming. The pace had been cut in half and Aris was not so sure they were still on course for Endrykas. After all, the journey to get them to the mine had been underground so he had no landmarks to guide him home. Sparrow had attempted to enter the Web but Aris stopped him because he did not trust those nearby. Webbing was a secret of the Drykas and some might not see it as useful. Given the mob’s frail state, they endeavored to soldier onward.

The thunder claps came in set of three, then two, then three more. The lightning that danced within the clouds and between Semele and her lover were beautiful yet dangerous. Aris and Sparrow had both known that when they reached the storms, they would need shelter. As if by some miracle…or answered prayers, a series of bird calls sounded all around the traveling horde. The watchmen both stopped and looked at one another. Those were the sounds of men signaling one another. Before Sparrow could draw his spear or Aris, his blade, four figures arose from the grass to the left of the duo. One called out in Pavi, “Peace!” A series of rapid hand signs from the others revealed that they were from the Underwatch; Deathspark’s order. Aris tilted his head. Almost all of them were covered in some way. The assembled mass of cowering folk began to whisper, point and jostle. In an effort to stem the madness, Aris turned around and raised his hands until everyone was silent and watching him.

“Good people,” He began in Common with a thick accent, “These are our friends. We are safe now.” He lowered his arms and studied a great deal of the faces in the crowd and then turned around and conferred with the one who spoke ‘peace’ to him at the onset of the meeting. As he neared, he soon found well over two dozen bodies standing at various points in a perimeter around the group. He never asked before, but he would certainly find out just how large and established the Underwatch truly was…he’d been saved so many times by their ranks that he almost felt obligated to inform them of Deathspark right away though he knew a better time and place would present itself. After a brief conversation, Aris waved Sparrow over and conferred with him. Both men walked back to the group and Aris held up his hands as before to get their attention.

“We are going to be led underground as a means of shelter from the approaching storm and a shortcut to our home. You do not have to come with us but life in this plain is dangerous so I encourage all of you to follow.” Aris lowered his hands and then with Sparrow, they marched after the Underwatch. The shrouded honor guard formed in around the Watchmen. Within a few hundred yards, a large cavern opened up into the earth where there stood a few more Tunnel folk with braziers and rations of water and dried food. The operation appeared to be organized and well-run. Aris asked some questions about how such a thing was possible and the answer was quite refreshing. The apparent leader (though it was impossible to say since they were all covered and wore no uniforms) told him of how the tunnel collapse had raised an alarm. After investigations were done, a Pycon directed them to an old, old tunnel system. The Underwatch had witnessed the divine destruction and lost many souls in the process of escape. It was then that they pooled their resources and set up runners throughout the region to keep tabs on the survivors and strays. They, too, wanted to make sure the slaves and their kin made it back to the Tent City.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After a few hours of walking at a brisk pace through a huge tunnel, and by huge think big enough to sail a clipper through it should there be water instead of a floor, Aris and Sparrow were pulled off to the side. They had shared the fate of Deathspark with a man called Gotch. He never revealed his face but spoke with a wisdom that both Watchmen found powerful as well as insightful. Aris had told their whole story and one by one the members of the party were brought together once more. Aris explained what was said and revealed the key. Gotch took it and lead them all into a small inlet off to the side of the main cavern. Here was a rack with a straw pad, two chests and a shelf of books and trinkets.

“These are Deathspark’s stories. He loved them like family.” The old man put a withered hand on Aris chest. “He loved all of you as well.”

“What makes you say that?” Sparrow inquired. He signed confusion and strangers. Gotch caught his hands before anything else could be gestured.

“I’m blind, boy but I can hear your fingers so let me explain.” He move over and sat on the bed then turned his body to face the small group of adventurers. “Deathspark was injured in a smithing accident. The molten metal marred his face but it also gave him a funny smell to the horses. Striders are fickle like that, ya see?” Gotch cleared his throat and spit a chunk of mucus on the ground but did so in a way that it was not near any objects or people. He kicked some dust over it and continued. “Shortly after, he came to find us under Semele’s skin and made his way in our world. He was smart, strong and as loyal as they come but he hated you sun dwellers for a long time. I don’t know what changed it for him or why but I came across him one day and he had sawed off his tongue.” The broad but thin shoulders slumped in a sigh. “Wiser than ten men, he formed my hands into signs until I understood why he did it. He never wanted to speak hate again. From that day forward, he became my best rat and a good friend. He wanted nothing more than to serve the people of Endrykas so when Evain came to us, he was my natural choice to lead your marry band as it were.”

The elder rose and moved to the smaller of the two chests. He knelt down and hoistsed it up as one might cradle a child then set it on the straw mat. “Tavekh, if he gave you that key it’s because he wanted you to have the items in this chest. They’re magical, we believe and some are even tagged with their powers. Our Deathspark did more research than a whole city of scholars.” The frailness of the man was revealed as he lovingly touched the books on the shelf. “Deathspark was his tunnel name but I knew his real name; Konnor Heartsfire. Ooh, that boy had a fire in his heart, alright. Heh. Damned shame.” Gotch turned and led himself past the group being quick and agile with his hands to avoid any attempts to touch or heal him. “I’ll leave you to it. When you come out, head east. It won’t take long to catch the group and my scouts will lead you to your city. Farewell, Drykas. Farewell.”

Stunned, Aris approached the chest and opened it slowly. When the lid fell back, he began to pull contents from chest and hold them out for Sparrow to distribute. First was an axe made of… something. He couldn’t read the writing but it appeared to be unbreakable. The watchman passed this to Jasmine. Next was a set of bracelets and the color reminded him of Amunet’s hair so he handed them to her; this item was tagged. Aris pulled out and unveiled a cloak of many feathers all dyed dark like shadows. He did not pass this to his underling but instead walked up and draped it over Merevaika. He smiled and gave her a pat before returning to the chest. He did not notice that it was tagged otherwise he might have thought twice about handing such a thing to a thief.

The leader of the band was now inspecting a peculiar stone. It had the mark of Rak’keli on it so when he handed it to Sparrow, he made a subtle headnod that the young doctor should receive it. Sparrow moved forward and with his free hand, he turned Waisana’s palm up. He made constant eye contact as if speaking without words or signs and gently laid the tagged token against her skin then closed her fingers around it with his big hand. He linger just a moment before Aris’ throat clearing snapped him back into reality. The Ra’athi turned and took a necklace with an intricately carved horse amulet. He studied it and smiled. He turned and gave it to the warrior woman with dark skin; Ixzo. This item had no tag but it had to have ben special to be in the chest with everything else. Aris and Sparrow each took something then slowly started back out to the caverns and the long march back home. In truth, it didn’t seem s bad as before because at least this time they knew where they were headed.

NoteThis concludes the event. If anyone wishes to post, feel free to do so. If you DO NOT want to post anymore, please send a PM to those of us involved and say so. The last person to post can then submit the thread for grading.

GraderAchenar & Verena will each be receiving a reward for their efforts. When you have verified that they are up to date on their CS and expenses, have them PM me so I may discuss their spoils. Thank you!

[Waisana]

The teen couldn't find her companions but she pressed on, hoping that they would be reunited whenever they reached their destination. Considering how long it had taken for them to get from Endrykas to their present location, she didn't know exactly where they were going to go. They were likely to have to camp out in the Sea of Grass and the doctor began to worry about they would manage such a feat given that they didn't have adequate supplies. They didn't have food or water for everyone, they didn't have the supplies to set up shelters or bedding and they didn't have the medical supplies to deal with all of the injuries that abounded among the many people of whom they had taken charge. Waisana even began to worry that the scent of the wounded would attract predators. What if someone bled on the grass and a night lion or a glassbeak picked up their trail and decided to come for a feast? The blonde found herself on high alert, hoping that she'd see an impending attack but knowing that she was at a disadvantage here; a predator would see them long before their prospective prey had an inkling of their presence.

The Opal girl didn't know where they were going but she had spotted Aris and Sparrow and had fallen into the column that had gathered behind the Watchmen. Given the patient that she was supporting, she didn't have the opportunity to catch up with the pair but she had a rough idea where they were and trusted them entirely. Thus far, the men had brought them to the place they had promised they would and they had gotten them out alive, or at least, she knew that they were alive and she was alive but she was unsure of what had happened to the others. Unless proven otherwise, Waisana would assume that they were alive. All that mattered now was putting one foot in front of the other and placing all her faith in the two men who led them.

The walk was long and arduous, particularly for the woman that the doctor guided along. Not long into their walk, she found herself stopping to deal with her patient's leg so that she could actually manage this trek that would go on for Rak'keli knew how long. Wood wasn't something that one could regularly come by in the Sea of Grass so it was a little tricky to construct something to support the damaged limb. The teen had to make do with rolling fabric into long, tight sausage shapes and would need to affix one to the front of the leg under the knee and another at the back down to the ankle to try to support it. Aware that the column was moving relentlessly onward as they remained still, the girl began pulling long pieces of grass from around her. A few of the slaves helped her as she started the clumsy work of plaiting the blades together. She tied two blades together at the ends and slipped the third into the knot before she tugged it tight then she followed the repetitive pattern of braiding. She crossed the blade on the right over the one in the middle and brought it to rest between the left one and the middle one. The leftmost blade was crossed over the new middle one and set to rest between it and the rightmost blade. The same pattern was repeated again and again with the girl pulling the whole lot tight from time to time. Despite her best efforts, by the end the braided grass appeared uneven and there were gaps in the weave. Still, it would have to do for the moment.

Tying off the ends of the braid, she gathered more grass and repeated the process, her fingers getting into a familiar rhythm as she crossed first one way and then the other. When she had a few such skinny braids, she braided them together into a larger one that she hoped would serve like a rope. Her helpers copied her and helped her tie them end to end to create a makeshift rope that she then wrapped around the limb and tied as tightly as she could manage so that her sausages of fabric would remain in place--or so she hoped. They had fallen behind the column of people large as it was and so she helped the woman up and they supported her as they tried to catch up. Waisana could only hope that her makeshift splint would provide some relief by preventing the bones from moving around quite so much.

The little group trudged after the main gathering, never quite able to close the gap as they had to stop to allow the woman rest from time to time and so that Waisana could tighten the splint. It was very much a product of improvisation and as a result, it wasn't a very good one and the teen kept a look out for any materials in their environment that might work well. Lightning began to crackle between the sky and the plains and the doctor wondered if they were going to be cooked out in the grasses or drowned when the rains came.

After a bell or two, they came across a squat bush that grew close to the ground. One of the former slaves, who obviously had greater knowledge of wilderness than the blonde did, explained that it had a strong root system and suggested that it might serve for the splint. Waisana approached the bush in question and began feeling around under it. The roots seemed to be well established below the surface and it wasn't likely that she could just pull them up; she'd have to dig. The girl had a knife but she didn't want that blunted, especially as she might need it to cut through tough roots. Instead, she searched around until she found a large stone embedded in the ground. She pried it free with her fingers, dragging her fingertips around it again and again until she made a groove and could grab the stone to tug and wiggle it free. Once it came out, she used it to gouge the earth beneath and to one side of the bush. After a few chimes, her hands were filthy but she'd managed to expose the fibrous roots. She felt around them, marvelling at how long some of them were, and managed to find a dry, dead root that had dried into a tough husk but she was able to cut through it easily enough by sawing her blade against it despite its strong appearance. Deciding to use the grass braids in place to increase the chances of the splint staying in place, she began to wrap the roots around it. As soon as they were made to bend, the roots cracked and snapped, forcing her to return to the bush to hack off another length.

This time, Waisana didn't succeed in finding a dried out root and so instead, she found herself cutting through a tough section that was revealed to be green on the inside. She had to wrestle with it, finding it harder to cut and as she jerked it back and forth to try to get it free, she found that it was more flexible. The teen took a moment to compare the first root with the second and realised that the live root was far more suited to her purpose, despite the fact that it didn't look as solid; she knew from cutting it just how tough it was. She wrapped the more pliable root around the splint and tugged it tight, making a note to remember the little tidbit she'd discovered.

She had no idea how long they travelled for but as the storm seemed ready to drop upon them, thunder booming overhead, the girl cried out with joy as she heard cries of 'Peace' in Pavi and saw figures ahead. They managed to catch up with the rest of the group as they began a descent into the ground. The doctor felt no relief to be back underground again but she realised that it was the most sensible option for all considering how dangerous that storm could be. Once they were in the embrace of Semele once more, the teen allowed her patient to go with some of the Underwatch to get better treatment as well as food and water. She found herself eagerly accepting food and water, gulping greedily as she discovered how thirsty she had been without having realised it; probably, she'd been dehydrated. Once again, they were forced to move, this time in the far more uncomfortable surrounds of the tunnel. She didn't manage to find her previous charge but she trusted that the woman was now in better supplied hands than her own.

Again, they walked for bells until the teen was sure her muscles had turned to stone within her and moved with the greatest reluctance. Eventually, they came to stop in a huge cavern and the doctor began to search around. The girl wept with joy as she found first Ixzo and then Amunet and the other members of the group, as they were gathered together, glad to find that her companions were indeed alive. The loss of Deathspark soon weighed heavily on her mind as Aris explained the situation and what he'd been told about the man. When the key was revealed, Waisana peered at it with interest and when they were led to the deceased man's room, she was surprised by the things he had accumulated. It was an odd notion to own so much given that the Drykas moved so much, making one very conscious about keeping their belongings to a bare minimum. It was fascinating to see everything. When the man's full story was revealed, the doctor was amazed. She never could have imagined the wealth and depth of the man's history and now as she looked around her, she understood how great a loss it was that they would never properly get to know their guide who had lived in this treasure trove.

Aris started to go through the chests and hand out Deathspark's most precious belongings. If the man hadn't passed on the key, Waisana would have felt guilty about this divvying up of goods but instead she was content in the knowledge that he had wanted this. When Sparrow approached her and reached out to manoeuvre her hand, the blonde blushed furiously, lowering her gaze to the charm he pressed into her hand. Not quite able to meet his eyes, she smiled tentatively and examined the artifact he'd given her. The mark of Rak'keli caught her attention and she stopped paying attention to anything around her as she stood mesmerised, in awe as she pondered the item in her hand that now seemingly belonged to her. As they set off once more, the blonde found herself totally wrapped up in the gift she'd received. She found herself gazing thoughtfully at the amber gem as she walked, tracing it with her fingers. When she wasn't looking at it, she kept it held firmly in her fist by her side, feeling the pressure there that now grew familiar. As they got well into their journey home again, the teen's muscles started their aching again and she found herself wishing them away, daydreaming about how she would go about relaxing and unknotting them. A tingling began in the hand that held the gem and there was a sense of something happening. She stopped thinking so intensely of her fantasy and found as she raised the gem to peer at it again that the ache in her muscles was ebbing with an unnatural rapidness. Gasping in horror, she watched the fire in the golden jewel die as it seemed to clue and become blue. She came to a standstill in her shock and as she thought on the tingling and almost magical sensation that had coursed through her and how she had thought so intensely of healing her aching muscles. The ache was gone and now the teen found herself suspecting the gem of the cause. It could heal! It had the power of a healer!

As she continued on, she was more careful with her thoughts, determined to try to use it again and decipher its power when they reached home and not before.

OOCProphet already gave out the details of these items when he awarded them early. The details of mine can be found in my CS and I've wasted my use for the Spring season purely for story reasons. If such a use was improper then I apologise and hope that it can be ignored or edited out without any issue.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

He had darted back as Merevaika had attacked, but through the corner of her eyes, she could see the other woman snare his shoulder, pulling him back firmly. The man stumbled back, and another blade slipped through his ribs, putting him in agonising pain. Moving to stand, Merevaika just stared almost bewildered at the smile on the woman's face, and the wink that followed. So bloodthirsty, so happy to kill. The Drykas let the feeling of exhilaration overcome her, joining her partner with a smile. With almost a skip to her step, she darted forward, scimitar back in hand. She thrust it under the man's chin, who currently shifted on the floor, struggling to do anything other than cope with the pool of blood at his side and shoulder.

His eyes moved up, and she could see human in them. Anger too, and fear. Grasping to the fear, she let the blade meet flesh, effortlessly ending a life. A tremor shook her, Merevaika stumbling to the side. Her blade caught, and once again she was left weaponless, with the scimitar resting in the body while she toppled back.

Dodging the blade of a sword, she rolled forward, reaching for her weapon, but the roll had landed short and she crouched in the dirt, taking in the attacker and the distance left to go. Too far - she wouldn't be able to grab it and defend herself. In the split second left, she snatched her bow from her back and drew back an arrow, forcing it further back than it wanted to go. There wasn't time to aim, but there wasn't much else to aim for. The arrow caught him mid-jump, in the chest, and he fell onto her. Merevaika replaced the more familiar weapon with a knife again, slitting his throat before pushing the dead weight away. This time, there was no attackers; this time, she took her time to take the scimitar.

Keeping bow in hand, she looked up, catching the eyes of two wild looking women, the mirrors of Merevaika and Ixzo. They simply stood there, almost statues, but the blood across their bodies and the wild glints in their eyes proved that moments before, they had been deadly. Their gaze shifted between Merevaika and elsewhere, but Merevaika's didn't. Threading another arrow onto the bow, she let her mind relax. This was nothing. They were too still to make worthy targets. Letting them see her grin, she suddenly brought the weapon up, heaving the bow string back and lining up the arrow with the woman with a hammer. It flew through the air, and another followed, aimed at the other woman.

She didn't have time for anymore. The ground erupted and she sunk lower, trying to stay steady this time. Her eyes searched for Ixzo, and latched onto the dark woman, who stood with a child. She snarled, the first a foreign language, the second Pavi, as she extended a hand towards her. Merevaika didn't know whether to take it, strangely. The battle was one of her homes, she loved the fight. It was frightening, exhilarating, something. Endrykas was so plain compared to this. There weren't emotions or senses to match these. There was nothing similar. And Endrykas... she had no idea what waited for her there. Would she be pardoned from her crimes? Forced to remain a prisoner? Put under an even harsher sentence? Even if they had promised something - although her mind was too full of thoughts of the battle to remember - would they keep their promise?

She took the hand, anyway. Eryunt waited too. For him, she would always return. Just before they broke into a run, her eyes turned back, searching for the two wild women. They had gone, or Merevaika was looking in the wrong place. Perhaps they had simply joined the piles of bodies on the ground. Perhaps her arrows had taken them there. Perhaps they were running, like she was now, the ground racing under her feet. They didn't get another thought.

---

When they joined the crowd of saved slaves, Merevaika pushed forward, moving towards those in charge, no matter how much she hated them. Lingering just behind a clump of saved individuals, she watched them, the signs not always the clearest from her position, but the conversation crystal. Aris wanted the refugees to join them, return to Endrykas. Merevaika almost chuckled, knowing the general response they would be met with. The Drykas didn't like outsiders. She could tell them that very well.

A hum began as the conversation faded, but Merevaika did not join it. She moved with the crowd, but not as part of it, winding between people and trying to understand what had happened. She still did not understand it all. Why they had come, why they had fought. Saving slaves wasn't it. Perhaps that letter, right at the beginning, would have made it clear. Perhaps not. Either way, she listed, if she could, to anything, hoping one of the slaves would bring up the reason for the mine, if there was a greater one.

As she walked, she tried to deal with her injuries, wrapping cloth around the worst ones. Her body trembled, tired physically and injured, but she forced herself forward, not allowing herself to show weakness in front of those not bonded, those not Drykas.

The arrival of more of the Drykas from underground shocked her, but she accepted it, all the same. Her heart sank as they were lead back to the tunnels, but she followed anyway, moving even further forward. Her arm stung, but at the sight of food and water, she forgot all pain, darting forward. She snatched up a waterskin, gulping it down with a swift motion. Her throat became even drier, and she drank more, not caring about leaving some for others. She was thirsty - she had just fought and risked her life to save strangers. She deserved it more. She took food too, some to eat as soon as she could, she snatched up pieces when the Underwatch were distracted by tending to the freed slaves, placing the stolen food in pockets or her pack. She didn't know how long she had left - she didn't want to be left without anything if she chose to split up. Taking a third waterskin, she drank another sip, attaching it to her pack as discretely as possible. She wasn't certain how they would react to her taking things, but didn't want to risk being branded a thief once again.

The Drykas group slowly fell together, Merevaika slowing to walk besides Jasmine, then the pair being found by Ixzo and Amunet and the other healer. The only one who had died seemed to be Deathspark, but even that wasn't a loss, for he had left things for them, things she didn't even understand. The first, an axe, was handed to Jasmine, Merevaika curious what the tag said. A set of bracelets was handed to the girl for they matched her hair, Merevaika glad she didn't receive something as useless as a bracelet. Out of the two, she would have gone with the axe. The next item was for her, a cloak of feathers dyed all shades of dark. This was given to her directly, with a pat as it was placed over her. Merevaika felt them run over her hands, snagging a tag that was almost hidden as she did. She tore it off, knowing the words meant nothing to her. She would ask Amunet. The rest got their gifts, all mysterious, and Merevaika left them to it, noting them all anyway. Then they set off, and home seemed so close.

Sometime later, she asked slave to read the tag for her. She didn't know why she hadn't asked Amunet. Perhaps she didn't feel right sharing the magic of the cloak until she knew what it was. The older woman she had asked agreed to her request, stating the cloak would hide the scent of the wearer, completely destroying it. Completely removing any scent altogether. Merevaika thanked her, finding the words leave her lips strangely naturally. Then she crumpled the tag, letting it fall to the floor, trampled by the many feet behind her and covered in dust and dirt, disappearing as if it never existed.

Just like her scent had, Merevaika smiled, tugging the cloak on even tighter.

[Achenar]

In all of his life, he would have never expected to be in the midst of an event like this. In the chaos of the mines, he'd lost Verena and been jostled and pushed with the the other desperate slaves who clawed and scampered toward their way to freedom. He'd vaguely noticed the individuals who'd been fighting the mine overseers... drykas? He couldn't rightly tell, and for once, he couldn't give a shyke. He just wanted to be free of the chains that bound him to Kenash, and this was the only way.

And so the ethaefal followed the herd of bodies out into the Sea of Grass. With nothing but the disheveled clothes on his back and his entire body caked in dirt and mud, he shuffled with the others, haggard and somewhat trembling. Achenar never thought of himself as a strong man. He could endure pain, and though time can heal a broken body, it could not easily mend a shattered mind. His actions were somewhat directed by the hivemind of the large corral of slaves and people. He paused when they paused, and continued on. Each agonizing step taking him further away from the hell that was Kenash.

Good.. fucking riddance.

The slow eventual rise of the humming from the crowd brought some relief from the dark stirrings of his thoughts, but as the bells dragged on, he was finding it difficult to keep his shoulders high. The ethaefal, though he found sustenance under moonlight, still suffered from exhaustion. The thunder that clapped on the horizon proved little in the way encouragement either. Are we supposed to die here, then? He wondered. Like wretched dogs? Perhaps that had been Leth's plan after all. A morbid smirk graced his chapped lips.

And yet just as soon as he had noticed the coming storm, they were surrounded, by what the ethaefal could only assume were drykas. The man's words alleviated the immediate fear that they were going to be executed here and now, but Achenar was more than wary. Traveling underground wasn't appealing, but if it was the best chance of survival, he wasn't going to protest. As much as he suffered, he had made it a mind to survive just to spite his bastard of a master.

Achenar would keep up with the group as they traveled for the bells it took in the wide, ominous caverns, silent, thoughtless and driven by sheer instinct to survive. He had no idea what to expect from the Tent City of the Drykas, as he he only heard passing rumors of their people (mostly negative) from the dynasts that scorned their existence. But perhaps such a place would even come to save him from himself.

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