Quest A Change in Circumstances

[Razkar]

One thing Razkar had learned in his travels was that when strange and armed men started talking in their own language around you, it was not a good sign. But that's what happened when Fubuki floated off at speed, ethereal clothes whipping around each other... at some hasty muttering from his partner, one of the Drykas galloped off after her.

The Myrian cocked an eyebrow when the horse lord said something about Fubuki's safety. After seeing the half-psychotic shade decapitating, blinding and disemboweling a caravan of slavers, he was under no illusions about whom was less safe out there in that... "danger".

And what did you do? Send her away. A potentially devastating weapon, and you send her fluttering away out of sight. Wonderful...

The caravan began lumbering on again like some great, wheeled-and-hoofed beast that was momentarily stalled, his choppy Common seeming to strike a nerve with all present. The Drykas trotted off quickly, apparently leaving them to it, and Razkar allowed himself to relax minutely-

-but then they stopped. Further up. In the middle of the road.

Razkar's face became as stone as some decision was reached within him. This would not end well. The Drykas were silently threatening them now, daring them to try and pass. He turned to Mitchum, speaking lowly as the caravan trundled closer.

"You know to fight?"

"Why the petch do you think you're here?!"

Fair point, the Myrian thought, but rolled his eyes all the same. "Keep eyes on trees, then. Anything you see, yell." He turned around to face the other sellswords in the Smoker's employ, on guard duty like him and looking on with mingled confusion and excitement that the day was changing into something more interesting. "Same for you! Watch trees!"

Closer and closer, but the horse lords did not move. Part of Razkar was willing them to: that slowly civilizing aspect of his personality that was eagerly absorbing his travels in the barbarian lands, that just wanted this day over with and yet another job for his employers accomplished without fuss.

As may be expected, that was a very, very small part.

The caravan was nearly upon the motionless riders, and as Mitchuma flickered his glance left and right at the trees, Razkar stood up next to him, knees bent to steady himself... bow half-raised, and string half-pulled back.

"Move out of way!" He shouted, clear enough to be heard by the Drykas and the caravan boss, who whipped his head around indignantly. Not that Razkar cared: his priority was the protection of his employer's property, and he smelled a threat to it. Razkar locked eyes with the leader of the Drykas, black eyes hard and unyielding. "Not ask twice!"

[Edreina]

Everything from that point seemed to move at the pace of a hummingbird's wings. It was all a blur to Edreina as her attention darted between happenings and was unable to piece it all together as a whole. Despite the fact that nearly none of it registered with her conscious, fear seized the woman, accelerating her heartbeat and shortening her breath. A new rider was approaching at breakneck speed, doing something with his hands. The rider that had been in front of her was suddenly beside her. Was he giving her a chance to- Rough hands seized Edreina and she yelped in surprise as she was haphazardly lain across the horse on her stomach. In another flurry of imperceptible events, they were in motion, thundering away from the fortress. No this was wrong. So wrong. Edreina flailed once and then stopped, feeling as if she was about to fall beneath the creature's pounding hooves. Gods. It all clicked in an instant of painful clarity. As adrenaline pumped through her veins, Edreina was suddenly able to piece things together. Each thought fired off as quickly as the horses' hoofbeats. What? Kidnap. How? Horseback, apparently. When? Now, obviously. Where? Only the gods and these three know... Why? ...that one was definitely unknown. What could they possibly want with a willowy woman of the sea? Certainly not hostage for ransom. I have only a few mizas to my name. Blackmail? I've not slept with anyone influential. Have I? Whatever the reason, she had to get away. Somehow. Jumping off of this horse would be futile and most likely get her hurt. And even if it did not, how could she outrun three skilled riders on horseback? Perhaps when they stop, she could sneak away? Who says they will stop? And suddenly, the thousands of possibilities overwhelm the redhead once more, kicking aside her logic and replacing it with an animalistic panic. If she could not get away on her own, perhaps someone could help her. "Help!!!" The single word was ripped from her throat with agonizing power, shouted so forcefully that Edreina felt light headed afterwards. Gods. Please let someone hear me!

[Fubuki Kouri]

The sounds of galloping horse behind her brought the ghost girl's attention, she shifted her position so she was now flying backwards but still towards the direction Razkar told her to go. She saw one of those suspicious men were chasing after her, riding his horse. "Hsssssssssss!" She hissed like a Dhani, Kouri didn't like it. One that was not a simpleton or a village idiot could understand that if nothing was really out there then that horse-riding man wouldn't chase her. "Don't follow me! Or..." Kouri shouted to the man and whirred the four chakrams at her shoulders to drive her point "I'll kill you!" "Help!!!" The shrill scream from the road ahead put the final nail on the coffin for Kouri recognized the voice, it was Madame Reina's. What were they going to do to Madame Reina, the Svefra who was so kind to approach and befriend Kouri on her own even though most humans avoided her? This triggered Kouri's murderous state, she immediately judged that the cause of Madame Reina's scream was definitely this men and one was chasing after her... she would have to get rid of him and fast. "........" As she was flying backwards, Kouri commanded two of her chakrams to make an side arching motion to slash the horse's forelegs; aiming to stab the horse so it could fall down. She figured the horse was a bigger target and galloping at this speed, dodging was kind of difficult. She would save Madame Reina and kill all that got in her way.

[Akilah Windsong]

Akilah jerked her head up at the sound, the thundering hoofs increasing the tempo of her heart. All thoughts on kidnapping were gone at the sight of the Drykas rider. He was coming too fast. What was going on? She saw a sign, ghosts, heard a cry of danger, but it was all too quick.

There was no time to understand, to digest these new facts. Just time to act and her body moved before her mind caught up.

Before she could turn back to the woman, Fallingleaf had already grabbed her, slinging her unceremoniously on his yvas. Signalling her own strider to follow him, they raced down the path.

If the way here felt like a hunt, she now felt like prey. Her heart hammered wildly and she gripped the yvas tightly. It was hard to resist the urge to dig her knees into Adámas's flank, to urge her to run faster. A ghost? Was a ghost coming to attack? It couldn't be just one, this scene was too panicked to be just because of a single ghost.

Hearing a voice, Akilah looked up and spotted the ghost. She had met one before, but he had been a passive man.

The one in front of her was nothing like that. No, she was rage incarnate, and Akilah stopped breathing for a moment. A battle. Her combat experience was nil compared to the others here, and she swallowed nervously. How do you fight a ghost? Her left hand grasped her hilt but the cool metal didn't ease her fears.

You can't kill the dead, after all.

Luckily, Adámas didn't share her worries and charged on. Closer and closer, and she could see a glint of silver. Were those--Akilah's eyes widened at the chakras. A sword would be useless in this situation, her arm wouldn't be able to pull it out in time. At the speed they were moving, she couldn't shove him out of the way, or get in front.

[Edreina]

In the flurry of movement, little Navis somehow managed to escape her bag, falling to the dirt with a yelp that sent a shock of pain through the maiden's heart. If she turned her head just far enough... Yes. Navis was fine and chasing after them, yowling and crying in his high voice. Despite his shorter legs, the little fox was a sprinter and thereby managed to follow the horses for a few ticks. Being a sprinter, the fox was not able to, however, keep up his pace. As he faded into the color of the road, a sense of despair settled over the redhead. She was being whisked away by these foreigners, taken to god knows where. And there was nothing she could do about it. Or was there? A flame suddenly flickered to life within her bosom, sparking in her blue eyes. In their haste, the riders had not been able to bind her and while directly attacking the rider would certainly only get her knocked unconscious, there was another creature involved in this nightmare: the horse. If there was one thing that Edreina had learned from having long hair, it was that wherever her hair went, her hair would have to follow. For once, she was thankful for her siblings' tormenting. Moving without a sound, Edreina lunged forward in her awkward position, a motion that set her shoulder aflame, and reached as far forward on the horse's bobbing neck as she could, closing her hands around mane as close to to the head as possible. With a savage yank, she pulled the hair back towards herself, years of holding onto ropes giving her the strength needed to hold on. In the best case scenario, this would spook the horse enough that both she and the rider would be thrown off. And then, indignant, maybe the horse would run off to disturb the other riders. It would give her just enough time to run away... But to where? Hell that did not matter right now. All that mattered was getting away, getting... somewhere. Perhaps if she was lucky enough, the riders would cease their chase as their quarry suddenly became infinitely harder to catch.

[Fubuki Kouri]

The Drykas chasing her was asking for it, he was definitely asking for it. Kouri had enough of talking so she whirred her chakrams at it reached the strider and they cut through the muscle and bone of the horse's forelegs like buzz-saws. It screamed in pain and fell down as both of its forelegs were now just bloody stumps, Kouri stopped to finish off the Drykas riding the horse by sending her metallic familiars to cut through his neck, slicing and sawing until his neck came clean off his head and spurted blood like an open faucet. With the disturbance gone, the ghost girl didn't even take another look and simply dashed forward again, until she caught up with the three riders and... her, she saw her! It was definitely Madame Reina, carried by one of those bastards. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Her high-pitched murderous wail echoed in the area as sent her chakra- wait... she could hit Reina that way. So thinking quick, Kouri vanished from her location and appeared directly behind Nalik, she then materialized herself and hugged him tight from behind, freezing him with her frost touch. Her chakrams caught up with her and were now floating at her sides again. She then used her arms to grab his head and about to press her index fingers into his eyes, blinding him permanently. "Stop... now, or I will... kill you..." Her voice low and menacing, the chakrams whirred to create loud sounds, ready to cut this man apart should he disobeyed. Sure, Madame Reina might be injured from falling down a horse... but at least she would be saved.

[Razkar]

"Help!!!"

The scream split apart of forest and a flock of birds rushed upwards to escape it. Horror and desperation soaked it and the two Drykas flinched as it washed over the caravan, hand sliding to-

Razkar knew that voice. He had heard it scream before.

Thinking time was over.

He raised his bow and drew it at the same time, cart now barely twenty feet from the two Drykas standing before them. Before either of them could notch an arrow the Myrian sighted down his own and loosed-

-sending a broad-headed projectile flashing through the bright sun in a clear line-

-burying in the chest of the Drykas who'd been speaking, bulging eyes looking down in disbelief at the three-foot shaft now sticking out his chest, blood bubbles on his lips as he swayed-

-fell-

"BASTARD!"

The screamed word in Common came from his companion and in a blink the Drykas had drawn his bow, notched an arrow with the smooth and practiced speed all of the Horse Lords knew, throwing it up and firing-

-at the space where Razkar had been.

The Myrian knew that he'd never get a chance for a second arrow, not against two Drykas. He'd fought beside them before, and against them, and knew their mastery of the bow bordered on the ridiculous. He had the advantage with the first, his weapon drawn, arrow notched, string half-pulled... but with the second?

He threw himself into the back of the cart as the arrow thudded into the seat and the cart driver yelped in shock.

"Petching Sol, boy-"

"Fucking bastard!"

He's angry, Razkar thought to himself, gasping as he rolled off the cart and onto the grass behind it, leaving his bow behind for his ax instead. Good. Let it cloud his mind.

Though he knew he was one to talk. Edri. His Edri. She was out there, screaming for his help, and it was clear to him now that these Horse Lord bastards were up to something. Kidnapping? Slaving? No... No! That wasn't what they did... was it? So many questions, no answers, and above it all the thought of his... his...

Razkar grunted and gritted his teeth, eyes snapping open as his gnosis flared to life.

You are a Child of Myri. You are her Wrath and her blade. Prove it. And do not fail.

The male crouched low and peered under the cart, seeing the trotting feet of the Drykas' horse under it. He was moving around, trying to move fast and find him before the rest of the caravan reacted, fighting back, but now there was naught but commotion, confusion, horses rearing, men shouting, weapons being drawn-

"Come out!" The Drykas raged atop his Strider, eyes wide and teeth pulled back in a hateful rictus, fresh arrow notched as he circled the cart. "Fucking murdering-"

He was on the right side now, maneuvering his horse perfectly with his feet on his yvas, and saw a flash of tanned flesh moving on the far right, past the cowering river, where the quartet of horses hitched to the cart were. Saw the Myrian standing there, threw up his bow-

-just as the Myrian smacked one of the horse's rumps, hard-

-making it rear up-

-into the path of the arrow-

"SHYKE!"

The Drykas cursed again, in Common then in Pavi, reaching for a fresh arrow from his quiver, enraged all over again that the Myrian had tricked him, but Razkar was still moving, Mark of Myri giving him speed as he jumped up to the driver's side of the cart, getting a grip with his left, right pulled back with his ax ready-

"GET DOWN!"

-the driver throwing himself down even as the horse screamed, blood pumping from its flank-

-and Razkar hurled the Malediction-humming hand ax at the Drykas' Strider, at close range, just as he drew back the bow-

-catching the magnificent stallion squarely in the face.

The Drykas screamed with horror now, not anger or rage, face crumpling from hate into unbelievable pain as his companion for over a decade reared up on its back legs, head of the ax buried in its brain. Its eyes bugged from its head grotesquely, rolled back so they were like two vein-strained orbs, froth and blood oozing from its mouth.

"Andrei!" The Drykas shrieked. "Andr-"

Then it fell back and to its side, ground almost shaking as its brain mercifully shut down, consciousness robbed and Drykas falling with it, screaming as a half-ton of horseflesh crushed his right leg. Agony spliced and flashed through his eyes as he kept hold of his bow, tying to lift it up, peering through red pain-

-seeing something dark leap off the cart-

-gladius raised by its head, drawn back for a downward thrust-

-triumphant, vicious expression on its face, not quite a smile, or smirk, or grimace-

The Drykas heard the Myrian scream something, two words, and had no idea what it was. All he knew was his friend was dead and so was his Strider... and he had failed. He closed his eyes-

-just as Razkar landed, arms slamming forwards as he screamed-

The cart driver winced. He'd never seen a blade buried so deep...

"Deceiver," the Myrian snarled, twisting the gladius and watching life seep from the eyes of his enemy, "Go to Dira along with your friend-"

And with that he pulled the gladius free from the Drykas' ribcage, doing the same with his hand ax with much more effort. The Malediction-charmed weapon could hit like an Akalak when swung or throw, and had buried deep in the horse's head... which was why Razkar had thrown it. But getting it back out...

"Gods... damnit!"

Razkar nearly fell onto his arse as he ripped it free, brain matter and blood arcing from the red cavern ripped into the horse's skull. But he ignored it, already rushing away from the dead horse and rider, leaping onto a skittish Mrrko's back.

"The petch are you going?!" One of the other sellsword's screamed at him as he cut through the rope tying his gelding to the cart, sheathing his ax and gripping the reins with one hand and his gladius in the other. "We need you here!"

Razkar ignored him. He ignored them all. He merely growled at his mount and after nearly a year together, Mrrko knew the urgency of his master. With a high whinny he sped away, Razkar pointing him straight towards the sound of screaming further down the road, the laughing of Fubuki and calls in Pavi...

Now his was the face contorted in hatred. He had respected the Horse Lords. Vanator, in particular, he valued as a friend, had even saved his life before from a Zith hunting party. But for them to target his friend, someone he cared for deeply?

"Fubuki?!" He called out, knowing the flying little girl would already be in the thick of any fighting. "Kill all! All you find! Make Edreina free!"

And Mrrko raced on down the Kabrin, Razkar bouncing up and down on his back, hooves throwing up gouts of dirt as he went, steaking towards the stretch where the Drykas and the Svefra were struggling.

[Akilah Windsong]

Akilah was scared. No, scared couldn't quite cover it. Terrified. Petrified.

And even then, as she watched in horror the scene in front of it, those words were not enough.

Death was not a stranger to her. It was her constant companion these past months, the very reason she was here. And death by that illness, that plague that had entered her home uninvited, that was painful. That was violent in a way she didn't understand.

The red in front of her was violent in a way she didn't want to understand. Bile rose up her throat and she pushed it down as she saw one and then another Drykas fall in the wake up these strangers. That strider--no, the bile was coming up again, but she couldn't deal with it now.

Not if she wanted to live.

Akilah looked to her right, to the woman she had just helped kidnap. Zulrav, forgive her, but she just wanted to gallop home now. Ignore what that would mean if she returned by herself, leaving her clansmen behind.

Then a small child appeared behind Fallingleaf and Akilah almost screamed. "What--!"

She looked like a small child, but the murderous expression on her face and the spinning chakrams said otherwise. Akilah looked behind her briefly. The trees pinned her to the path, the city somewhere behind her.

Ahead a group of strangers who were trying to kill her too. There was no safe way out of this.

Zulrav, Semele, was this a punishment? Should she have helped her people some other way?

Swallowing, she thought fast. They can't go back, toward the city. They'd be trapped. There was only forward, and there was only one way out of this.

Nudging her strider, she moved closer to Fallingleaf, fighting the urge to run away from the wraith. "Fallingleaf, just let her go. We can't win this!" she shouted, gulping as she got within range of the chakrams.

She couldn't tell if he had heard her. Her blood was rushing to her head, her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't hear herself. Akilah leaned forward and lower, an arm draped tightly around her mount's neck. Her clothing stuck to her, uncomfortable and sweaty, and she didn't want to get any closer.

Fallingleaf was despondent, the fear or something else catching him. Guilt? She couldn't tell. It was dangerous, but she'd have to try to slow down his strider, at least enough that he can dump the woman and go.

"I go to slow him," she yelled at the ghost, trying to make her intentions clear. Looking at the woman they had captured, she fumbled with her Common, almost slipping back into Pavi. "Try to get off."

Speeding up her strider, she reached out and made the signs for slowing down to Fallingleaf's mount. As long as he wasn't panicked, it should work.

[Nalik Fallingleaf]

Ride. Ride.

RIDE!

That was the only thing that mattered now. Something had happened. Something had gone wrong and now they needed to leave. Fast. Nalik hadn't stayed long enough to see what happened to the Drykas that had alerted them of the ghost, but a quick glance and Windsongs pale face confirmed that something terrible was happening.

Nalik tried to fight the conflicting thoughts shooting through his rushed brain. Maybe this is what he deserved. He was the bad guy in this, wasn't he? He had taken someone from their home. Their live. And was forcing them into another. He was the evil force in this.

Wasn't he?

No. No, his people need him to be strong. His race is dying out, they need new blood. They will treat her well. She will help re-establish the noble Drykas. What he is doing is necessary, not evil. After all, anyone would do whatever it takes to protect their family. Wouldn't they?

The woman was struggling, and he glanced down a mixture of pity and frustration contorting his features. Suddenly a little bundle fell from her and hit the floor with a strange cry. No time to see what it is. Just focus on ahead.

Ride.

Nalik glanced over to Southstone. He was still alongside them, riding hard. Good. Nalik was just about to sign a question to him when Rivain let out a shrill whinny of pain and veered sharply to the left.

Panic. Confusion. Fear.

Nalik flew to his right, and it was all he could do to grip onto his Yvas with his legs, one hand grasping the Yvass handle and the other pushing the woman into the horse, stopping her from slipping. But Rivain was still making a lot of noise and her speed had increased in her panic.

What had the woman done? No no time to thing, regain control.

Ride.

"Rivain head up. Look ahead. Everything is ok. listen to my voice. That's it girl we need to leave. Calm. Calm"

He tried to speak calmly. Softly, but was unsure if that came across. The tension was getting to him. Whatever the woman had done it had nearly cost both of them their lives. A fall at this speed would prove fatal. And Rivain was still jittery. Her head swung from side to side as she ran, her pace inconsistent. She was scared.

Without looking down he spoke to the woman his voice authoritative, but his common more broken that normal due to the stress.

"Stop. Do not again. Both will die. You die I don't want. I want you live. Happy. Please. No more."

He wanted to say more. He wanted to make her understand, to reassure her. however any other words were torn straight from his mouth by a harrowing scream that echoed all around.

What in Caiyha's name is that? What creature could emit such a horrible cry.

All too soon he would find out. He glanced at Windsong. Her face was pale. What was happening? Before he could look behind him it was already to late.

Mid glance his body suddenly felt like lead, and a aching pain crept all through his limbs. He couldn't move. He was struggling to breathe. What was happening to him? It felt as if his blood had been replaced with ice and the cold was slicing through his body. HE wanted to scream but his vocal chords tensed with the shock of the cold.

Whirling slicing things were now next to him and he felt something grab his head and two strange longing fingers hovered just in front of his eyes. Something was on his back. What was it? What kind of creature was this? Why did everything have to get so close?

Whatever it was it was enough to spook Rivain and she started going faster and shaking violently. At this rate they would fall off her in no time at all. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a low terrible voice full of menace and thirst for vengeance. ""Stop... now, or I will... kill you..."

This was it this was how he was going to die. Even if he wanted to stop, which at this moment he most definitely did, he could not. His body felt sluggish and useless beneath him.

the whirling things were so loud it was all he could here. He thought he heard someone else speak but wasn't sure. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Windsong get closer to them. She was signalling something. To him? What good will talking do now!?! No not to him. To Rivian.

Slow.

It was no good. She was in full panic mode and only he could bring her out.

Apart from he couldn't.

He needed to make whatever this creature was understand. He needed control of his body again. He needed to stop this death ride before it ended in completely catastrophe. It was never his intention to kill anyone. He just wanted to help his clan. His people.

He concentrated all his efforts into the words he next spoke. He forced them out of his mouth, the pain making it feel as if he was literally coughing them up through his throat and ripping them from his mouth.

"Me. Go. Let. I stop. Or both die. Want her dead, I do not. Want me dead, I do not. "

[Fubuki Kouri]

OOCAnd what better way to emotionally break Nallik other than killing his strider? "Me. Go. Let. I stop. Or both die. Want her dead, I do not. Want me dead, I do not. " "What... the... petch?!" Kouri didn't get what the kidnapper was talking about, not one bit. The girl was fluent in Vani, not Common and this man had an even broken Common than Razkar, Kouri was already a bit struggling to understand the Myrian's words sometimes, this one horse-rider was just speaking gibberish. That was it, her patience had run out. "Fubuki?! Kill all! All you find! Make Edreina free!" Razkar's distant words obviously triggered the lethal ghost girl to rampaging ghost girl that would kill anything that didn't resemble Razkar or Edreina. A scream so utterly ethereal and high-pitched erupted from her ethereal voice cords, her chakrams understood their master and all of them flew to Southstone, stabbing the Drykas' temples and sawed his neck until his head was replaced by a bloody stump, he fell from his Strider, another sacrifice for Myri! Yes, Myri! Kouri supposed that Razkar's Goddess-Queen would like it. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Her murderous wail reverberated through the air as she pressed her fingers to Nalik's face, freezing him further, and commanded her chakrams to saw his horse's neck. It neighed and neighed in extreme pain until its head came clean off its neck, it obviously died instantly. With the petching animal gone, Kouri needed to soften Edreina's imminent fall. Kouri then dropped all of her chakrams, the daggers lost their false life and fell to the road, and she vanished from Nalik's back, appearing directly above Edreina and hugged her tight as the Svefra fell off the headless horse. "Gahak! Ah! Gaaah!" Kouri screamed in pain, she focused the soulmist on her back and acted as a shock absorber for her red-haired friend, white mists went flying from Kouri's body, damaged by the impact as they tumbled and tumbled on the grasses beside the road at high speed, finishing by both of them dragging on the ground to a stop. "Uhuk... ah... M-madame Reina... are you alright?" She struggled to speak, good thing she was a ghost, if she was a normal little girl, she could end up with lots of broken bones, internal bleeding, and large bruises.