Closed [Sacred Arch Hotsprings] II. Muster

[Razkar]

Continued from here

5th Day of Summer
Just north of the Sacred Arch Hotsprings
20th Bell

Syna was taking her sweet time, and the watcher was not entirely adverse to that. True, he had business that night, and much ground to cover... but some sentimental tugging at his soul kept a slight smile on his face. He shook his head and the coral fan caught the dying light as he did so.

Mindful all of a sudden, the figure retreated another few feet into the treeline. The springs below were thin with swimmers and civilians, but he'd heard rumors that lovers and wayward youths frequented it at night. He certainly didn't want to peak their curiosity.

So Razkar kept up his vigil, head moving left and right monotonously, watching from the shadows... bored... rarely blinking. Too much like guard duty, but much like guard duty, its very tedium was its greatest danger. It bred complacency, and many a guard had died not because his skill with the blade was better then his killer, but because he simply wasn't paying attention.

Razkar would know; he'd cut a few of those throats.

The Myrian sighed softly. Simpler times, he supposed... and certainly more interesting than now. But, he thought with a renewed gleam in his eyes, history will soon be repeating. A carefully-prepared ambush. Prey unawares but easily riled, bristling with arms and armor and men with will to use them. Conflict and chaos and blood and the striving for victory... all the Goddess-Queen needs... and you.

Something shifted in the brush to his right. Twenty yards, as his ear whispered to him. Not an animal; too clumsy for that, too much weight. His eyes flickered to the side, balls straining at its corner... nostrils tingling...

Body odor. Stale ale. Familiar... then Razkar grimaced as he heard more clumsy... footsteps. Definitely footsteps.

"Try to sneak up on me?"

There was a muffled curse in Common and after a moment the hulking form of Ekvan, one of Smoker's ranking enforcers, emerged from the treeline. A half-dozen bobbing and equally-familiar figures were arrayed behind him. Hard, cold-eyed men strewn with weapons and packs of rations, weather-beaten armor on their bodies, facial hair, shoddy clothes and quick, rodent eyes...

"Think you're so smart don't you, savage?"

"When compare to some?"

"What?"

"Nothing"

The Myrian turned to face the men, arms crossed over his chest, letting them see without bar the weapons strapped to him. Most, anyway. The twin lakan and dagger were at his back. Leather armor chafed his skin under his harness, the first time he had worn it in a season, and more the pity for it.

Mrrko was back at the Docks, hitched up with Edreina's boat. One of his saddle bags was at Razkar's feet, containing food for the next two days or so. Enough to get him to where he was going, but not back... then again, if the job went well, they would have additional rations.

Their previous owners would no longer need them.

"You should be careful, savage," Ekvan said in his customary snarl, his default tone of voice, "Remember: yer on thin ice..."

Razkar cocked an eyebrow and both wondered if he had ever walked on ice, and remembered back a few chimes.

Eight chimes earlier

"Six."

"Yes. Well, five. One is dead."

"... excuse me?"

Razkar should have figured that last part would confuse the Smoker, and as he took a breath he wished he could be talking to the... other one. When he'd first met the Smoker, the human had been flanked by a brutish man obviously a bodyguard, and another, much smoother associate. He pretended to be another sellsword but Razkar worked out by the end of the meeting that he was doing just that: pretending. Masquerading. Letting his pipe-smoking underling grab Razkar's attention so he could evaluate his new recruit.

Something told the Myrian it would be easier talking to him. He seemed quite sharp for a barbarian.

"She is ghost. Very useful. Others are Kelvic, human and another Child of Myri. All are capable."

"And how would you know this?"

"You pay me to know."

The Smoker leaned back in his seat, tapping at the table until he realized his manicured finger as splashing into a puddle of... something. Nose crinkling in distaste, he wiped it on his breeches. He should have known better; this was the Spinning Coin, after all. Gene Duval didn't waste money on sanitary safeguards. His clientele didn't come here for cleanliness. They came for cheap, potent booze, gambling and fighting.

And anonymity, the Smoker told himself smugly.

"We did not anticipate you hiring so many additional sellswords."

Razkar blinked a few times as he processed the longer words. "You did not say what too much would be. You gave permission. You said let me do what I said I would do."

"We also said that you would have additional help."

Razkar glanced sideways at the neighboring table, containing Ekvan and the aforementioned "help". Six men who probably had not cracked true smiles in many a season. Men whose eyes had hardened and then grown cold, ruthless and ambivalent. Warrior, slave, merchant, babe or pleading female... it did not matter to them who they killed. Sellswords. A particularly pure example, and six of them were clustered around Ekvan like remora fish around a shark, casting the Myrian sullen looks.

Razkar rolled his eyes at their presumption. He'd had a Dhani priestess stare into his soul while he was tied to a sacrificial altar. Compared to her, these humans were lower than amateurs.

"Yes. I see help. But I bring my own, too. Slaver caravan have many guard. I know. Have attacked before. Eight men is risk. Fourteen is much better odds."

"Perhaps, but we have to pay them, Razkar."

"You said would be small pay. So, what is 'small'?"

The Smoker mulled that over for a chime, puffing smoke rings with the languid patience of someone holding all the cards and mizas... and then named a figure.

Well... not too bad, perhaps. Maybe barbarians in Syliras get a better rate.

"I think they will accept that."

"They can take it or leave it, Myrian."

"Think they will take."

"And the rest of your plans?"

Ekvan shifted visibly at those words, and Razkar had to suppress a smile. Ah, he could feel how it burned in the human, having to follow the orders and planning of some beige savage from the arse-end of Mizahar. He spread out his map on the table and the Smoker beckoned the big bodyguard over so he could see.

"Here is where meet." He said, pointing to the Hotspring. "Meet with Ekvan and... help. Meet with people I find. Then we go to place where caravan come, make ambush."

"And how do you know where it'll come through?" Ekvan growled his challenge and Razkar felt something hiss inside him. He quelled it. That would come later. "You been askin' around? Or just fucking know the future?"

"Know how to read land." Razkar said, then flashed the letter that Smoker had given him when they first met. "And read letter. Not worry. Savage has plan."

"Like I give a monkey's fu-"

"We are doing this Razkar's way." Smoke spoke firmly, putting an end to the argument before it escalated (or, more accurately, before Ekvan could), "That was what we agreed, so that is how it will be. Understood?"

Ekvan just muttered something in his own tongue and stomped back to his table, shoving some staggering patron out of the way. Both human and Myrian watched his receding back warily, but for different reasons. The Smoker's was pensive, bookish, trying to decide if an asset should be cut loose or, perhaps, traded in. The Myrian's was narrow, predatory... looking for the best place to stick a knife.

Later, my friend. Later...

"You're on thin ice, Myrian." The Smoker said, counting out the payment for the six sellswords, to the last gold coin, and then placing the bulging bag in Razkar's hand. "Best make sure this gets resolved."

"It will be."

Razkar moved to stand, one hand on the back of the chair, pushing it back with a scrape across stained stones, but-

"There is one last thing."

-that stopped him, and his guts groaned. See? That's what happens when you don't listen to me!

"Yes...?"

"After the ambush. After all the guards are dead... Ekvan is in charge."

Razkar stared and stared but while the Smoker looked away, studying his pipe a little more intently than necessary, he did not reveal anything more. And so Razkar re-settled in his seat... slowly...

"Of what?"

The Smoker explained it to him. And, after a fashion, Razkar understood.

----------

Razkar finished his reverie and sighed. Barbarians... their ways were never simple, despite their base greed. Ironic, really. All their endeavors revolved around power and wealth and gold, gold, gold... but their means of getting it? They were more complicated and myriad than Razkar could even fathom.

This was one of the less complex ones, he understood.

"Where're your people, then?"

Razkar turned back to the field above the Hotsprings that rose softly into a gentle hill, leading upwards from the bubbling, steaming waters and ending in the dense and forbidding treeline that bespoke of the Bronze Woods. He'd heard stories about that place. Not full of the monsters and demons that Falyndar was apparently infested with (those stories always amused Razkar), but still... unpredictable.

And soon, Razkar thought with a smile as Syna nodded another few feet down towards the horizon, about to become even more perilous...

"They are coming."

OOCReady when you are, guys! I was a little vague when it comes to the pay and that extra stipulation from The Smoker. The former because I'm not an Admin and so can't hand out specific rewards from NPCs, so we'll just have to wait until the end of the job. The latter because... well, I want it to be a surprise. Much more fun!

[Kaie]

Sunset. That's when Razkar said they would assemble. She was stricken with anticipation the moment the order was given. "Five chimes early is ten chimes late," her father had once advised her when they had first set off to board the ships. The ones to take her lands far away. Since that day, she had chosen to live by those words. Taking them into her way of going about life, always early. Never too late if she can help it. Kaie knew the Sacred Arch Hotsprings for several reasons. Not only was it a common place for peasantry to take a load off, she had her own encounter here. It had been around the same time too. She could see remember clearly, the sight of the squire bathing in the water before her, completely unaware she had been there long before he had. What was it about barbarians that caused them to miss things in such plain view all the time? Hopefully whatever additions would be made by Razkar's employers would be competent enough to keep from making the same mistake. Misty as always, vapor tendrils swirled upward toward the sky of the fading light. Clear spots of water being turned by the light that penetrated its droplets. It was a beautiful sight for anyone searching for a warm place to rest. Through this thick fog, the Myrian woman waited silently. Sitting upon the stones that walled the spring naturally, Kaie was seated below the old arch from which the place received its name. Sporting her tradition attire that included a fresh loincloth and a leather vest that buttoned only once where it mattered. She was put together well enough with her gladius on her hip, quiver and longbow strung across her back, and a cloak around her shoulders. Bronze skin glowed in Syna's fading light, brunette curls falling around her shoulders. Amber eyes were radiant with anticipation in her impatience. Finally, she heard the voices and the footsteps. Coming into view now, she could see her tattooed ally, Razkar. The son of Myri stood out easily from the crowd not just because of his looks but his familiar demeanor. The confidence all Myrians radiated in their wake. A soft breeze billowed through the drop where the waters were, stirring up the vapor enough to allow her to be visible for but a moment. Kaie stood up then, eyeing the crowd skeptically at first. It wasn't that she didn't trust a fellow Myrian, but she wasn't fond of the massive amounts of barbarian sellswords in comparison to her solo state. Finally, bare feet moved to make her advance and meet with both familiar and unfamiliar faces. She would not give up a name upon meeting the white skinned men. Her business was through Razkar. The third party was none of her concern. When she was a yard or so from the group she nodded her head in acknowledgement and greeting. "My sword is yours. Let Myri look upon us in favor on this night in barbarian lands." She said in Myrian tongue to Razkar lowly as to not upset the barbarians who couldn't understand. She was prepared. Now, who else would arrive and join their side?

[Daelyn Caliban]

Nice night for a bloodbath.

He chuckled as he made his way through the underbrush, one hand on the hilt of his blade, the other pushing aside the various foliage. He'd left the city early. Hadn't been able to get comfortable in his chair. Hadn't been able to get comfortable at the tavern. His blood was up. After the incident yesterday at The Spinning Coin he was aching to get blood on his hands. Maybe after he was done here, he'd go back and have a little chat with the little bastard.

Maybe.

He paused for a moment in the forest. Up ahead he could see a clearing, and through the trees he could make out a group of figures. Good. He picked up his pace, pushing through the underbrush faster. He emerged into the clearing moments later. The Myrians were both present and accounted for, as were the reinforcements Razkar had promised.

"Gentlemen," he said, nodding to Razkar and the other mercenaries. "Lady," he said, nodding in her direction.

"Nice night for a bloodbath," he said, voicing his thought from earlier.

Nice night for a bloodbath indeed.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri Kouri's Tree, Bronze Woods, 19th of Bell, 5th of Summer 513 A.V The familiar clearing where a particular ghost girl made her home, it looked empty for the moment; but if one looked closely, one could see thick swirls of black mist gathering in the clearing. The peculiar black mist moved and ebbed as if they were alive and combined together in a spiraling motion. After two chimes, the combined black mists shaped a black cloud of a girl with very long hair... then the cloud slowly gained color, details, and... the cloud finally became the ghost girl with her bloodstained dress. ".................." Kouri opened her eyes, her crimson eyes focusing on the scenery in front of her. She had just woken up from her rest after possessing a Nuit named Isolde, the possession costed a lot of her soulmist. Woah... that was a weird dream... during her rest, she dreamed a rather... odd dream of sorts; she met a Dhani then it all went to insanity from there... Male Konti, female Akalak, flying pink Ziths, and shykes. Shaking her head, Kouri finished her recovery and looked up to the sky. It was night and the moon was shining beautifully, shining down upon the clearing. If one looked at the ghost girl now, her form was now gleaming under the moonlight; a eerily haunting beautiful creature in the shape of a little girl. She sighed in content and the first thing in her mind was returning to the Traveler's Row to visit Rena, her little sister. But then... Oh yeah! Sir Razkar! She remembered the business... the business about massacring a group of slavers. "Ha... HAHAHAHA!! Time to kill!!!" Kouri cackled like a murdering madman and extended her arms to the side, she then balled up both of her hands as if crushing something. Four thick ethereal tendrils jutted out from her back and procured all of her four chakrams on the ground behind her. The chakrams then came to live and immediately flew to their master, taking their position beside Kouri's each shoulders. Two on her right, two on her left. "My lovely pets~ Time for a feast!" She lovingly rubbed one of the chakrams as if it was alive. "TIME FOR A FEAST!!!" With that final declaration, Kouri flew diagonally upwards and headed to the Hotsprings; where her fellow mercenaries were waiting. Sacred Arch Hotsprings, About a Bell later... "Hm hm hm hm hm~♪" Kouri's cheerfully murderous humming echoed in the sky just above the hotspring. She finally arrived and stopped, observing the ground below. She found figures gathering. She could make out two persons with bronze-skinned tone, they must be Sir Razkar and Madame Kaie. And one more particular figure, the one named Sir Daelyn. She hasn't yet found Madame Kyra, Sir Solin, and.... that petching fool, the fool she was planning to murder today. Where is he?... no matter, I'll kill him later anyway... She was set on actually butchering that spiky-haired fool should he came. He already gave her his permission after all. What a strange guy... usually people didn't like being offered to be murdered, but this one was foolish and crazy enough it seemed. The chakrams at her shoulders bobbed up and down, agreeing with their master. Setting her thoughts about that fool aside, Kouri positioned herself and dropped down to the ground. "Hahahahahaha~♪" Her cheerful laugh echoing in the area. Then just a few feet before she reached the ground, Kouri suddenly stopped and breezes of chilling cold win emerged from her, indicating her ghostly presence. Her chakrams also followed suit, dropping down and took their usual position. She then ever so slowly, elegantly floated down and stopped just a few inches from touching the ground. Her ethereal white hair billowing upwards and her chakrams dancing a deadly motion, circling around her like the moon revolving around a planet. She then made an elegant landing motion and curtsied, greeting the party. She slowly lifted her head and found those other unknown mercernaries had various interesting expressions on their face. Some terrified, some surprised, some intrigued, and some... expressionless. "Hehe..." Kouri flicked her hair and the very long white strands calmed down and flowed down behind her back. "Sir Razkar... Madame Kaie.. Sir Daelyn... I'm ready for the feast~♪"

[Kyra]

Humans were very interesting, that is what Kyra had come to say, and it held truth every since. She was off to work with a group of people who were getting paid to take out a caravan of slavers, a simple enough thing to ask, though the job itself would be much harder. But that was part of the fun, she imagined and it was a cure for her recent boredom as well. She headed off to meet with the others at the time that the tattooed man had said to do.

Kyra was the curious type, and although the man had said more than once that the details didn't matter, to her it was a note to have. Not that it would have mattered, she cared little more for the slaves than she did the people she was supposed to work with. But there was something that pulled at her mental strings continuously. They were to let the slaves go free in the woods. The same woods where vicious baboons lived, wild kelvics and a bunch of other strange creatures. There were rumors about a witch who lived in those parts and even a dire wolf who protected the area.

This was where they were to leave the slaves?

The young kelvic found it funny in a way, and perhaps the others in the group hadn't been in the city long enough to know such things, but it would be interesting to see how it all played out. There was also the fact that each and every time that she had been in the bronze woods there had been at least one squire walking around. Were they willing to face the Knights for this? She had to wonder, or maybe she was just too cautious, or them not enough. Even so, whatever her thoughts and curious nature was, she was hired to kill and she would do her job.

By the time that she arrived, there were a lot of people already standing around, and looking rather suspicious at that. But they were there, and with the addition of the new-comers, they were starting to look a bit more like the army that she had fought along side, she just hoped they didn't run into anymore yukmen. The young kelvic sauntered into the group, covered in midnight black armor, a dagger on each side of her belt, a small pouch, and her bow and quiver strapped to her back.

Her hair was curled into twin pigtails on each side of her head and she wore a sort of playful smile upon her full lips. Kyra glanced around at the people, before fixing her eyes on the man that had hired her. "I suppose that we are playing the waiting game again, no?"

[Solin]

The Feather Shaft, 18th Bell, 5th of Summer, 513AV

As Solin walked into the shop, he was greeted by a empty stare from the shop keeper behind the counter. Today was the day of the mission, and he wanted to prepare before heading out into battle against a unknown foe. He didn't like the odds of survival on this mission with the companions accompany him. He just hoped the group can pull together as a team before it was too late for them and him. Solin didn't put much stake in the gods, but he hoped and prayed for the Pup sake that he decided to bow out of the job because after his surprise attack on the human with the long sword. He really doubt the boy would survive long enough to even kill his first slaver before he found a knife in his back by either the apparition or the male human. Each of them wanted to carve a chunk out of the Des, but Solin lost any respect for the kid after his sudden attack on his fellow mercenary.

Solin had been meaning to buy new archery gloves and bracers for some time, but he never got around to it till now. Solin put a hand on counter and said softly to the human, “I will need a pair of archery gloves and bracers, and I would like ten flaming arrows too.” The shop keeper raised an eyebrow at the last item and he asked the blond haired man with a shyke eating grin on his face, “Do you plan on storming a castle, blue eyes?” Solin cracked a grin and thought to himself, “Smart arse...” Solin looked at him and countered his answer with own smart arse remark, “No, I am plan on starting campfires with them.” The human raised an eyebrow and snorted, “Wouldn't flint and steal be much easier?” Solin blew a pieace of hair from the side of the face and said with grin, “Well, I am lazy, so I figure shooting the arrows into the fire would be much easier than actually getting up from my spot.” The shop keeper laughed out loud and said with a smirk, “Well, I am not the kind of man to ask too many questions, so your total will be eight gold mizas.” Solin counted out the coin and put the mizas down on the counter. He gave the shop keep a nod and said softly, “Thank you sir.” The shop keeper asked with smile, “What is you name?” Solin started to wonder why the human was asking so many question, so he lied to him, “Mirik..”

Solin watched the shop keep grab his arrows the rest of his equipment, and when the shop keep returned with his equipment, he said softly, “You should try them on, and we will see if they need to go a size lower or higher, so you a hunter, Mirik?" As he tried on the bracers, Solin was getting annoyed with all the questions the man was asking him, but he said with a said with a smile, “Yes, I heard the deer are quite active in the bronze woods by the mountains, so a group of my friends are heading out to see if we can scare a few out of hiding.” The shop keeper's eyes looked at the flaming arrows, and he handed Solin the bundle and said with smile, “Please don't burn down out forest sir? I might go out of business if something happened to the forest.” Solin shook his head and said softly, “I can't make any promises. My best friend is bringing a keg, so by the end of the night, I doubt anyone will remember the night before.” The shop keeper laughed and said with a smirk, “Keep you bow tight and may your prey be stupid.” The kelvic took his equipment and nodded to the curious man as he walked out the door.

North of the Sacred Arch Hot springs, 20th Bell, 5th day of Summer, 513AV

Walking into camp, Solin could see the camp was full of mercenaries other than the band of six from the Spinning Coin. He didn't like the look of any of them, and the aroma of the mercenaries were equally as foul as their appearance. He heard a few of them throw a few insults in his direction, but he wasn't interested in giving any of them the time of day. It wasn't worth the effort fighting belligent fools anyways, so he continued walking past their campfire. Solin was dressed in his buckskin leather armor, composite short bow, full quiver of assorted arrows (accept for his fishing arrows), and his tulwar at his side. He was armed for battle, and he hoped his companions were ready as he was to get the job done. The kelvic eyes flicker over to the other eight mercenaries, and he saw a large man angrily started to pacing back in forth muttering to himself. It wasn't a good sign, but he figured it was part of the risks of being a mercenary. Hopefully during the raid, a few of these cretins will be killed, so they might think twice about betraying us.

Solin saw the tattoo myrian named Razkar off to the side with the rest of the group of his “merry” band of misfits. The all looked eager to spill blood especially the ghost whom seemed to be humming to herself a happy tune. He swore to himself in tukant when he realized he was the last one to show up, and he figured he might catch shyke from someone in the group for his tardiness. When he got closer, he realized they were missing the Pup, and he wondered if the female myrian finished him off last night. Solin took off his hood when he made it too the party, and he looked around for a moment and asked anyone, “I see we are missing someone. Did the Pup meet a unfortunate fate last night?” He said with a half grin on his face as he hoped the feisty lad doesn't show his face after last nights shenanigans. He figured someone killed him after the meeting, so he said softly with a nod to Razkar, “The eight behind us smell as foul as they look. I take it. They are the help?” Solin figured since he was silent at the first meeting. He might as well have a voice during the actual mission. It wouldn't be right not say a word to the people. He might be dying besides later.

receiptsubtracted 8gm for flaming arrows, archery gloves, and braces

[Razkar]

As the day died and Syna left, they arrived. One by one, marching up boldly through the hill or appearing from the sides as Razkar had, bells before. And as that fiery orb finally winked over the horizon, the last came in... but his party was one short.

The Myrian nodded curtly to the shining city down the hill, as if in thanks.

Good.

Kaie was the first, which Razkar had halfway anticipated. She seemed eager to prove herself as a fellow Child of Myri, for one, and for another... well, see previous reason. He could rely on her, he believed, for they were both savages among barbarians.

"My sword is yours. Let Myri look upon us in favor on this night in barbarian lands."

Once again Razkar smiled at hearing his birth tongue, so far from home and all the more grateful for that. "Her children will honor her come the dawn, sister. In blood spilled, souls reaped and victory gained. Not the war she is patroness of, perhaps... but good enough."

More waiting. Less light. More grumbles from Ekvan and his half-dozen thugs... then the tall, dark human came walking up the hill. Razkar smiled; he couldn't help it, especially when the man spoke. The healer didn't handle himself like a warrior, per se, but someone who knew how to handle himself and had that irrepressible confidence in himself that never quite became arrogance.

"Gentlemen. Lady. Nice night for a bloodbath."

Razkar chuckled as he leaned against a tree, running his whetstone steadily up and down the length of his gladius. Each stroke was measured, familiar... calming.

"Not tonight." Razkar said with some finality, but looked up with that smile all the same. "But soon..."

As expected, Fubuki made her entrance with customary ghoulishness. At first, it wasn't her Razkar spied: it was the flashing rings of steel that were her weapons, bobbing up and down like wingless, shining birds. Then when he squinted up... he saw those tendrils of white hair... and as she got closer...

"Mistress Fubuki," he said without looking up from his hissing steel-and-stone, silently relishing the stunned and scared shifting from Ekvan and his gang, "I was wonder when you would come..."

"Sir Razkar... Madame Kaie.. Sir Daelyn... I'm ready for the feast~♪"

"I'm sure you are. And I say last night, not call me 'Sir'..."

He let the words hang. Something else he relished, even though he felt a little bad about it, was the mystery that last sentence would evoke. Last night? What happened? It could be anything, throwing a ghost and a savage together...

Ah, let their imaginations work. It's more fun that way.

Kyra was the next to arrive, moving through the field like some great cat. Razkar's eye narrowed as he watched her approach. Some... similarity with Solin, in the way she moved and carried herself. More animal than human... perhaps another Kelvic?

"I suppose that we are playing the waiting game again, no?"

"For the moment. Have to wait for rest."

Actually, 'rest' turned out to be 'one', and Razkar was surprised at how much he was relieved to see the eerily-pale Kelvic approach them. Solin had not said too much the previous night, but he'd chosen his words carefully, succinctly and... professionally. Razkar also noted the fresh arrows and gear for firing them without damaging his arms, and nodded his approval.

“I see we are missing someone. Did the Pup meet a unfortunate fate last night?”

Razkar just shrugged. Des was hardly on his list of priorities. After his insane outburst the previous night, Razkar had resolved to turn him back anyway if he showed up. If he refused... well, either way, he wouldn't be coming with them.

“The eight behind us smell as foul as they look. I take it. They are the help?”

The Myrian cast a dark look at the others, his "reinforcements", and wasn't fooled by that description for a second. They were a leash, an insurance policy from his bosses... and perhaps something more.

A voice told him to tell these people who trusted him, who would march towards death with him... tell them how this would end. But he could not. He had given his word, to a barbarian, yes, but his word nonetheless. Razkar had to see this out to the end.

Oddly enough, part of him doubted it would matter either way.

"One way to say." He looked around at the lounging, waiting, expectant faces, and finally nodded. "Time to go..."

He knelt down and without a word they clustered around him in a circle, just within the treeline, the light barely enough to illuminate the map he unfurled on the dry grass. He noticed they're segregated even as they watch: Ekvan and his men on one side of him, his recruits from the Spinning Coin on the other side, both groups in a tight semi-circle.

The Myrian pointed at a space on the map in the middle of the woods.

"Kelvic." He said without preamble, looking up at Solin. "You have good senses. Can see good at night. Get us... here. It is place just west of water that flies." He tapped the space marked 'Sukina Geysers'. "I think caravan will pass there."

"And how'd you work that out?"

Ekvan's tone dripped doubt and sarcasm but Razkar didn't rise to it. He didn't even look at him: he looked at his people. Ekvan would follow him, follow orders like a good dog. But the others? They would need convincing.

"Caravan will not go into deep woods. Too remote, more chance for slave to get away. Land is flatter on west of woods, and they have carts, for carrying slave. They go from Kabrin up here-" he tapped the far north, where the Kabrin Road skirted the Bronze Woods and passed the Lykalov Mines "-to Kabrin down here-" then he tapped the south, where the meandering blue line of the Avitar River crossed the starker, harder, human slash that was the Kabrin Road, heading east to Zeltiva "-to avoid Knights. So go through Woods. But they have carts. Wagons. Cannot go in valleys, cannot cross river, so must rejoin road before river. And from there... to there..."

Razkar traced his hand from north to south, slashing through the Bronze Woods west of the Geysers.

"... is straight line and flat ground and no people. Is good route. That is how I know."

He rose to his feet and rolled up his map, still talking as he walked over to his bulging saddlebag. Already his voice was taking on that clipped, authoritative tone that he had used over a year and a lifetime ago, leading his fang in the jungle. Razkar felt a glow in him as he realized how he was speaking.

He'd missed it.

"Kelvic will lead. Ghost will go high, in trees, watch further. I and Kaie will take lead in group, Daelyn and Kyra behind..." he hefted the bag up over his shoulder and shot a quick glance at Ekvan "... you can follow. If walk fast, get there by noon tomorrow. There we make ready for ambush. Questions?"

OOCI'm guessing Des won't be joining us, so we'll wrap it up as is. Feel free to shoot some questions out, or just post moving out. Either one is good.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "Ehehehe~" Kouri giggled and put both of her hands to her cheek when Razkar called her 'Mistress'. This was a definite prove on how wrong the rumor that every Myrian was a uncultured bloodthirsty savage. Razkar acted with more decorum and politeness than that fat human mercenary and his cohort and they're the one who called the Myrian savages, how ironic. When Razkar took out his map, Kouri immediately joined the forming group. Listening to his plan intently. Oh I see... they are slow and we're fast, we'll catch them right where they will not expect an attack, ehehehe~ Kouri examined her group and beamed each of them a toothy grin, then she examined Ekvan's group and pouted. What are you stinky poos doing here? We can do this on our own... The short briefing was concluded and Razkar assigned the roles for his group. "Okay! I'll act as your eye in the sky~" Kouri made a mock knight salute and launched herself to the sky. "Ehehehahahaha~" Her haunting giggles echoed in the area. Once she's about 40 feet above the air, Kouri waved down to the group; signalling she's ready to go anytime. Her ever so loyal four chakrams also waved from side to side as if waving together with their master.

[Kaie]

Kaie had watched carefully as Razkar spread out the map for them to view, instructing them on the route they'd take. Of course she didn't yet know what exactly her role was in his scheme, but that was something she didn't worry about. Razkar was wiser than she was, more experienced. Whatever he had in mind, she was confident would be relatively quick and efficient. He was a Myrian after all. She would give him the benefit of the doubt he deserved just for that reason alone. Kaie didn't need to add the skills she witnessed first hand into the mix either. There wasn't a single reason she could find that would tell her he wasn't capable. The barbarians on the other hand... She'd keep her distance. Toward them, she held no peace nor respect. Only silent tolerance. They seemed to see each other in a mutual light. Both looked at the other party as tools for another, weapons to bend and break at their leader's will. Yet for her, it wasn't about the Mizas at all. Her purpose was solely for Myri, and as her sword, she would bend and break as the Goddess Queen commanded of her. It was Kaie's duty to draw first blood and sacrifice soulless bodies to the Goddess. All else was a bonus she had no need for. When Razkar finished speaking, Kaie nodded once in understanding. He knew how to use his assets well. Now he had eyes in the sky and Kelvic advantages on the ground with their heightened sense of smell and hearing. Healer and the second Kelvic at the rear to watch their backs. The barbarians...Well, they'd just do their best to keep up with everyone else's pace. Immediately without further commands, Kaie moved to her spot near Razkar. Ready to move out. Her bronzed right hand was hidden, hanging casually within the flap of her cloak by her hip. Any Myrian knew they needed to always keep their wits about them whether it was the jungle or the foreign barbarian lands. At a moment's notice, Kaie'd draw her favored gladius with a vengeance and cut down anyone who tried to jump them before they reached the geysers.

[Kyra]

Kyra looked around at the group again, more than twice the amount of people that she had met with in the Spinning Coin. And yet..there were more coming? With so many people, it must be a large caravan that they planned to take down. More waiting it seemed, not unlike that which happened when she was with the army from Ravok. She turned around and noticed the kelvic approach, the one who talked like a fool of a soldier.

She found it funny, and couldn't help but to smile after he mentioned how the humans all smelled, when he himself smelled like a dirty dog. It didn't matter however, they weren't there to sniff each other out, and as she had imagined before, they probably wouldn't see each other again. Kyra took the extra time to observe those in the group. They separated themselves from the rest, as if this was some kind of game, she liked it...it was different.

Instead of a unified front, it appeared that they had teams. Kyra was interested to know if this was what the tattooed man had wanted in a group, or if this was yet another thing that he didn't care about. Finally they were done waiting and he laid out the plan and he placed her to the rear of the group. It was a good spot, one that would allow her to slip away if the fools started killing each other and she saw no up side to staying. It was likely to happen, unlike in the army, these people were all dressed differently and unless those they were to attack were all dressed the same, they would have no way of knowing who was who.

It was one thing to put a bunch of people against yukmen or Syliran Knights in their armor, but these people..they wore basic armor, normal things that could be found anywhere, except for the dark skinned two, who barely wore anything. Of course they could see each other now, but in the heat of battle eyes did blur. It was time to go, and Kyra was more than ready and headed off.