The Broken Circle

[Skroth]

Skroth immediately saw the problem when Avi mentioned that they ought to leave soon. The others could move quickly if needed; two had the ability to fly while Caelum had his horse. Skroth had no mount for himself and he traveled at a lumbering pace to boot. He doubted he’d be able to obtain one for his size, considering that most Jamoura never traveled much outside the Spires and, if they did, they went by foot.

“I am afraid I will not be able to keep up with your pace, Mistress Avi,” he said, shaking his head. “For all the strength in these limbs of mine, I cannot coax much speed into them.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “I am more concerned with what friend Caelum has pointed out. How do we prepare to face one who can attack our minds? I do not know any defense for such; I have only learned to enhance the powers of the body. My gifts center more on things physical.”

The Jamoura opened his massive hands and looked at them helplessly.

[Nimvahlis]

Skroth's plight fell heavily upon Nim's mind. A rush of despair filled his lungs with murky filth. What are the mice to do before the owl? How will we fight or flee with a broken leg? Nimvahlis peered intently at the simian. He was a necessity, but also a liability. Stone weights pressed down upon his chest, and Nim had surrendered to the inevitable. Hopelessness, despair, a small stretch of oblivion waited to swallow the companions. Nimvahlis opened his mouth to give voice to the misery, but fell short.

Instead the Akvatari took a deep breath, Djed drifting lazily upwards again. It heeded the dominating call of Nimvahlis like a timid sheep. The powerful substance swept through his body, slowly rinsing away the muck of despair. As the feeling of calm caressed Nim's overwhelmed senses, he closed his eyes and breathed again. Nimvahlis sat serenely as the soothing Djed filled him like a basin, soon spilling over the edge. He allowed, no forced the calm out, tipping the basin. The cascaded emotion reached for somebody, the excited one, the animated one, and as Nim had convinced himself, the anxious one. Yes, calm my friend. What place has unpleasantness in your heart? Perhaps it was Skroth that required the aid, not Avi, but Nimvahlis shied from the simian's mind like a bat from the sun.

Nim cut off the Djed, already feeling the strain. Only a small sliver of prudence slipped into him, but it was enough to realize that overgiving at this time was a poor choice.

Now the Akvatari opened his eyes and spoke, his voice low and utterly tranquil. The Djed felt like a drug. "Perhaps the aid of Caiyha's brood could be enlisted." Nim blinked, bringing his hand up to his chin, "What of the Monarchs?" He of course referred to the enormous butterflies they had previously seen. "Might they provide transport for such a dire task?" Nim glanced to each of his companions, awaiting a superior solution for that problem. He turned to Skroth, "Perhaps we should inventory each other, examine how exactly we might combat this follower of Rhysol. When we are aware of what we are capable of, then we might worry." The transition from despair to clear headed calm was astounding.

[Caelum]

Caelum listened to his companions, all of their words automatically going through a process of translation in his mind into that shining, sharp language now unspeakable by his mouth. It formed words his lips were no longer capable of understanding; but Syna was bright in the sky and so illuminated his mind, opening doors into the dust and shadows of mental attics where glimpses of the universe could be caught out of the corners of the eyes.

He blinked, his frown thoughtful, while it occurred to him that they all, including him, required direction and that without some element of leadership they could, very easily and very swiftly, be met with death and whatever world would wait for each of them in the newborn cry of their next life.

Besides, the faster this duty was fulfilled, the faster he could return to his search for Lillis. Perhaps that was selfish, but he was not discounting the immediacy of the threat against the Spires nor his abruptly demanding compulsion to do all that he could to eradicate it. It was the wish of a goddess, after all, the wishes of goddesses he had ever been weak to.

"Avi and Nim, perhaps you could fly ahead and perform reconnaissance. I don't think it would be wise for anyone to go alone. Meanwhile, Skroth and I can find out about these Monarchs and whether or not they would be willing to assist us. Either result, we'll then set out immediately and Avi and Nim can backtrack and we'll regroup.

"As for abilities," a self deprecating expression shadowed an otherwise elegant visage. "I can ride. I have some minor medical skills. Navigation I'm good at. I'm afraid that when it comes to martial abilities, I'm at a decided low."

[Avi]

"If I had a harness, I might have been able to carry you," Avi told Skroth apologetically. "I'm not sure I could lift off with you on my back." Big though she was, having so many hundred pounds on her back wouldn't allow her to lift off. If she had a harness, she might have been able to manage it. She had caught and dragged off walruses and small whales before, and though it had nearly sunk her, she had hauled them out, carried them up, and dropped them to their death. The difference here was that with her enormous talons, she'd definitely shred Skroth, and she had no harness, nor time to make one, that would fit, much less hold Skroth's weight. The answer might indeed lie in those giant butterflies. Surely the Jamoura had some way of getting around besides their own hands and feet...

Avi twitched. And breathed. Her eyes went from gold to ruby, and tension seemed to seep from her as she relaxed a little, rolling her shoulders. There really was no reason to harbour such displeasure, now, was there? Of course there wasn't. Unpleasantness had no place in one's heart... For a minute, maybe two, the Kelvic relaxed, and she contentedly devoured another one of her dried apple rings. She was quiet as she listened to Nimvahlis and to Caelum.

There was one tiny problem with the Ethaefal's attempt to make the agitation go away: it was very, very hard to override a god's directive. Avi remembered the urgency, and despite the emotional suggestion to calm down, she remembered what Caiyha had said. The need to move, to not waste time and delay things had been firmly imprinted on the Kelvic's mind. Avi twitched again, her eyes a reddish amber, only to settle and purse her lips, pressing them against her teeth, swallowing the apple that had been in her mouth. She was clearly on the alert, now, more guarded than she had been. Her dark pupils shrank to mere pinpricks, almost gone in the changing blend of coloured irises. Who had done that? Why had they done it? They were trying to distract and disorient her. This had to be some of those mind games that Rhysol and his ilk liked to play. Avi was not amused, and the agitation had a new way of showing up in the form of barely-bridled aggression.

"I hunt, track, fly. Catch. Kill," Avi had stopped eating, and put the rings back in her backpack. "I am fine with flying ahead to look."

[Skroth]

"We could ask their keepers, yes," Skroth agreed at Nim's suggestion regarding the Monarchs. "Though I must admit I have never ridden one my whole life."

The massive Jamoura listened as his companions outlined each of their suggestions, weighing the need for urgency against survival. He was loathe to split the group, as their numbers were small enough as it was. While her thought reconnaissance might prove a boon in their initial approach at the enemy's stronghold, they might just as easily be picked off if they went by twos, especially considering they would be venturing into uncharted territory. Skroth shook his head.

"I think it would be best that we go there as one group. Should the Monarchs be available to us, you two -" His gaze encompassed both Nim and Avi. "- should ride as well to conserve your energies rather than flying by your own power. We should get close to the place as much as possible without risking detection and then decide what to do once we are on foot. For now, let us make our way to where the Monarchs are nested and see if we can enlist their services."

OOCMaybe the ST can flashforward the story to where the Monarchs are once this round of posts is done? Sorry, but I can't remember where they can be found or where they were first mentioned.

[Ja'soth]

at this time our quartet decides to split up to facilitate the fulfilling of the mission. Avi and Nihmvalis head in the direction indicated by the plant map for Hramath's lair and Skroth and Caelum head for the gate to the sacred grove to speak of using the great butterflies for mounts. The great insects have handlers that specifically are tasked with their care and maintenance.

The two Jamoura tasked with the care of the guardian insects are K'rath and Bhalla a mated pair who have not been able to have children of their own, they greet the pair with smiles
Greetings brother how may we serve you in Caiyha's name?

When the pair are told that a mission from Caihya requires the use of the pair of butterflies they reveal that it would not be possible to spare the pair that guard the Temple but they are directed to the raising area just outside the city where the artisans raise and shape the great insects to see if there might be an insect that would meet their needs.

The stable area is a grove of trees right outside the city that are utilized for the breeding of the giant insects and is an area impregnated with wild Djed. They enter the grove and see various trees shaped like stables of varying sizes. There are all kinds of sounds coming from the stables. They are greeted by a young male who smiles at them and speaks to Skroth in the Jamoura tongue Greetings brother...what can Martehk do for you?

[Skroth]

Skorth frowned. Why would someone speak to him in the old tongue, especially considering that he was with Caelum, someone who did not understand the language? The Jamoura thought it was rather rude to exclude his companion from the conversation, but he shook his head and let it slide.

"Greetings Martehk," Skroth returned in the common tongue for Caelum's benefit, as well as to remind the younger Jamoura of the presence of one who was not of their race. "We just came from the Monarchs but were told we could not use them for mounts. Might you have an alternative to serve such purpose? We," he indicated himself and his horned companion, "are on a quest for the Mother and must leave with due haste."

He hoped that there would be one available that could travel fast and was easy to handle. While Caelum had knowledge of riding, Skroth himself did not.

[Nimvahlis]

Sound was sparse when one flew the skyline of Taldera. Nimvahlis' wings, indecisive in their pigment, fluttering quickly to hold him aloft. Wind ran down his bare torso like water, cool and refreshing. The drafts above the canopy here were bone chilling to some, indifferent to Nimvahlis. His body reveled in both the frigidity of Taldera and the blistering heat of Ekytol. By day Nimvahlis was a creature of the world, thriving in any environment Mizahar may present him with. So now the inoffensive breeze blew past him, and his eagle companion. Avi was not cold, for Nim indubitably was not. The transformation of the nervous one, who was now the calm one, had been fascinating to Nim's immortal eyes. In an instant, an owl many times the size of Nimvahlis had materialized where the girl had been. Several moments had been lost among the dark plumage of the Talderan owl as Nim puzzled out exactly what she was. He was still new to this world, and little contact had been made with Kelvics. Now silence dominated the reconnoiterers as the canopy fell away behind them. Though with each tree they overtook, another lay before it. The world above the canopy was vastly different than its counterpart below the tree tops. Here Nim's eyes serenely scanned the oceanic forest, lazily analyzing it for interesting contents. Pines predominated. Nimvahlis' attention wavered from the sea before him, unstable as a man walking the tight rope cord. His disconcerting eyes that spoke too many unreadable volumes affixed themselves to the nervous one, flying a small ways away. The two could not bee too close, for the drafts emanating from her immense wingspan would throw the Akvatari to the earth. Though they be a distance apart, Nim still examined the features of her character. He could almost see the similar characteristics in their features, but it may have been Nimvahlis' mind making the connections. One could never be sure, for the world was only as solid as perception made it. Sunlight filtered into the world unhampered at this elevation. Nim did not watch the sun, for it cut into his eyes like hot daggers, but he was keenly aware of it throwing light onto his body. While Nimvahlis' eyes did not stray from Avi, his mind did. He hoped sincerely that the group would not encounter their adversary until Leth entered the sky. This form was sand, easily washed away with the tide. But when naught but moonlight painted Nimvahlis' face, he was eternity.

[Avi]

Avi had paid close attention to the map when Skroth had shown it to them. She recognized a good deal of the Talderian geography, if only by vague memory - she had flown these skies for the better part of her life, and had come this way often, passing from Avanthal to Syliras, and vice versa. This was not much new to her. Figuring out where was where on the map had taken some doing, but once she found her stride, she didn't think the navigation was too difficult. Taldera may have been partly a deciduous rain forest, but there were certain landmarks you learned to recognize from a bird's eye view. Sharpened eyes had taken in the map, even as she glanced around from time to time, watching warily, her face pointed and raptor-like, human though she may have appeared to be. She nodded in agreement to scouting. She hadn't explained how big she was, naturally, but she was a regional native, and, at least, so was her animal side. Even if she was a dire mutation... she was still a Talderian Black Owl.

She'd left with Nimvahlis, her steps quick and businesslike, yet mindful of the flora she stepped on. Once outside of Grath's, she was already removing the feathers from her hair. Those that didn't know better hardly ever noticed them, much less that they were carefully tied in with cords. These pearlescent black feathers, the Akvatari may have noticed, were as long as her forearm... if not longer. If they were hers, one had to wonder just what kind of a bird she was. Her spear was tucked under her arm, and her pack was in that hand as she placed the feathers inside. Booted feet trotted with the sureness that came from being comfortable with nature itself. She stepped between the trees, then, pack on the ground, her spear beside her as she actually proceeded to strip down. Avi was perfectly happy to go without clothes, but there had been many, many lectures on what was termed societal decency, and they had eventually been drummed into her skull. Her simple garments, one by one, were put in her backpack, and the spear was fixed into a network of slots and straps. The shoulder straps of the pack were lengthened, loosened, and Avi drew them on before stepping out from the trees into a more open area. She crouched and transformed, then, before launching herself into the sky.

There had been a reason she had needed a more open area to achieve liftoff, and that was simply that Avi's wingspan was massive. The enormous owl's wingspan was similar to that of a Kalean Wind Eagle - they were forty feet if they were an inch. There had been a reason she had said she could carry someone, and Nimvahlis was right to keep his distance. The shadow cast by the bird over the Spires was somehow fitting - she fit in well with the giant trees. Amber-gold eyes flashed until she found Nimvahlis, and he was quite aware of just how much of a predator she was. And to top it off, she was antsy from his attempt at hypnotism, and very much on the edge. Satisfied with his presence, and picking up the proper sound of his wingbeats, the owl headed in the direction that the map had indicated, content to get away from the Akvatari. She knew where he was. It looked strange if they were flying together. She could fit in here, after all, big though she was; but she was close enough to turn around in a heartbeat and come after anything that approached him. Her eyes scanned the trees and the air, keeping an eye out for anything amongst the trees and ground that might indicate a threat or a clue.

[Ja'soth]

Martehk seemed to take no notice of the fact that Skroth thought him rude for speaking in what was his natural tongue but he knew that it was rude and he was unused to outsiders coming to his stables so he switched to a fluent Common. Brother Skroth, I have a large assortment of riding animals for your consideration. Please follow me.

He then led them to a set of the specially shaped trees, these were huge Bloodwoods not as huge as those making up the Spires, but large enough to house the huge insects that make up the outer city. He was obviously proud of the work he and the artisans had done engineering and growing the specimens. He motioned to each stall as he went by it

Now Im presuming you fellows wish to have a flying mount since speed is of the essence, however I have a few speedy land mounts as well. Lets look at these first. He motioned to the stalls in front of them which contained various beetles all of whom were large enough to carry both Skroth and Caelum. This one is my pride and joy though he motioned toward a stall containing a giant Stag Beetle..or what appeared to be one. This fellow was bred for the ability to pull great loads, however he can fly as we bred wings into him. He also has the ability to fight for you if he is so inclined. There are others if you want to look The young Jamoura was excited to have people admiring the work of himself and his colleagues.