When Screams Fill the Air [Chakahn]

[Krisa]

It had been the longest time since the inarten had finally slipped into blackness. She’d been out the whole time that man had been stitching her up. Her breathing had evened out. Krisa had a fuzzy recollection of what had happened, but it was all scattered and jumbled. She couldn’t quite manage to open her eyes yet, but her breathing quickened, and feint indications of her eyeballs could be seen moving beneath her eyelids. Her songbird was confused and upset about her not waking up. He pecked softly at her cheek and nibbled on her nose. Finally Krisa got up the strength to groan and blink furiously a couple of times, before eventually opening her eyes “…Mmffpt…” She moaned “Gods… my head…” she slurred in her native language “…Kieran?” He was in her vision immediately. Her cracked lips turned into a grateful smile.

She couldn’t quite see much else from her position laying down on that table, but the thought of getting up right now sent waves of pain through her various injuries. Something nagged at her, and then she found him. A tall, muscular young man with very long dark hair stood nearby, looking anxious. Her eyes traveled down her own body to see that all her wounds had been cleaned and neatly stitched up. She moved her arm to feel the back of her head and felt none of the sticky blood that had been there the last time she’d checked. This man had saved her life. This stranger had risked his own life to remain here with her, even with all this chaos going on outside. “…You… Thank-you… Thank-you so much for saving me… Thank you so much” She tried to make her voice loud enough for him to hear. She also tried to sit up. It hurt, just moving, but Krisa didn’t care. She wanted to thank him properly.

From her sitting position she felt happy tears spring into her eyes. Krisa had almost given up on the kindness of others, as she had found herself doing so many times before in her life full of so much misfortune. As humans, we were monsters sometimes. We were careless, stupid, cruel. But bravery and selflessness were still present, and it made her weak with joy. “…I don’t know what I can do to repay you…” She began “My name is Krisa.” She introduced herself then had to grab the table as a dizzy spell hit her again, almost sending her to the floor. “…Oh gods… how long was I out?” She muttered, rubbing her temples slowly. “I feel like I’ve been trampled by a-“ Oh how silly of her. She’d been about to say ‘horse’, yet somehow she’d completely forgotten about the one that shared the small building with them. Krisa found herself giggling at her idiocy “…horse!” She finished her sentence anyway.

Oh dear, how she must look loopy right now. Mad, even. But this was a good kind of mad. It was giddy and grateful. The type of crazy she’d been all her life was no where to be seen. It was just all the blood she’d lost. No voices, or mood swings. No sudden loss of focus. No foreign personality. Krisa was just happy to still be breathing.

[Chakahn]

A lightweight bundle of feathers streaked past Kahn's face. He was leaning against Sanshae's broad flank in the shadowy part of the room, their outlined features forming a silhouette and his fair hair seemingly dark. He pulled a face at the bird, deciding he didn't like it. With the tips of his fingers he massaged the other hand, where the sharp beak of a certain bird had been hacking into earlier that day.
Muffled groans sounded from the corner, every couple of words punctuated by the perky chattering of a rejoicing goldfinch. Kahn detached himself from the horse, arousing the sleepy stallion and receiving a friendly nudge in the back. More words tumbled across the girl's tongue and he struggled to make sense of it all. He feared for her sanity; had the blow left her with heavy concussion or was she just confused? He didn't know, this was new ground for him. Hestodi hadn't made it to this part, he'd cut out and never awoken again.

Jumbling her words, she expressed her gratitude repeatedly but Kahn shook his head. "Repay you? No, no debts. I don't do grudges and I don't do debts. Just thank me once and be done with it," he told her, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. He shifted, his leg grazing against one of the wooden chairs he'd forced aside on Sanshae's behalf. He pulled t up, sinking into it and stretching his fatigued legs out in front of him, hooking the heel of one foot just above the bridge of his other.
Outside their safe haven. the plaza was gradually emptying. Hours had passed, and terror-stricken citizens had managed to make their way out, leaving only a body of brawlers and merchants. The latter were crouched close to the ground in a futile attempt to save their wares while others stared out in front of them, the realisation not quite sinking in.
He turned back to Krisa, chuckling at her choice of words - it certainly wasn't this docile horse that had been doing the trampling."You've been asleep for two, maybe three hours at most. You only just missed the second bell,' he answered her question. It would be hours more before the darkness evening brought would kick in.
Sanshae wickered as if in agreement, sticking his nose over Kahn's shoulder. He automatically reached out and wrapped his arm round his neck, tousling the grey manes affectionately.

"Look; Krisa, was it? We'd better get out of here soon. As you may have guessed, this isn't my house so I suggest we move to calmer waters before the real owner turns up and finds the mess we've made of this err .. charming place." He paused, looking her up and down, trying to judge if she was in any fit state to travel. She wasn't, of course, and there was no harm in staying for a short while, to muster her strength but they had better get moving sometime soon.
He realised he hadn't introduced himself. 'I'm Kahn,' he added.

~

[Krisa]

Krisa’s eye’s drifted over to look outside. Her gaze was met with a near empty plaza, a mere shadow of what it had been before the quakes and the riots. She smiled gratefully as he replied to her thank-you’s. Krisa watched him move and rub at a number of painful looking bites on his arms and hands from the assault her anti-social companion had lead and frowned. Oh, this bird was going to get her in trouble one day, she knew it. She desided not to say anything. There was nothing to be done. Now that she was awake, the goldfinch would not leave her to attack him again.

She worked herself up to sliding off the table so she could stand up properly. Still not entirely stable, she wobbled, but she wouldn’t fall over. The years of cruelty had left her tougher than she probably looked, and, most of the time, felt. For no matter how fairly well fed she was, she always managed to look skinny and rather frail. But her eyes were different, they were full of spirit.

The young man answered her question next, and his answer shocked Krisa “Two or three hours!” She shook her head “And you waited here all this time?” Krisa made a few steps towards him and his horse “Yes… yes of course, you are right. We should leave this place.” She looked sadly at him “I’m sorry about this…” She said, looking down at the sore marks on his skin “Kieran isn’t all that bad when you get to know him.” She listened to him closely, his accent was one she’d never encountered before. It were familiar, somehow. Reminiscent of some knowledge she knew she had somewhere. And the horse. She’d forgotten what he’d called it already. Slowly, it came to her. A Drykas, wasn’t he? His description fitted what she’d spent time reading about. From a city that moved from season to season made entirely from tents! Oh… how interesting to have met someone from his race! That’s if she was correct… Oh how she wished to learn more about him, but something was also nagging at her. Stepping back, a wave of realization crossed her face “Oh no… My bow!”

She hobbled out the door, and then quietly sneaked outside and rummaged through the pile of broken glass and splintered wood that lay as debris on the stone path. When her hand touched the string, her shoulders visibly relaxed. No one had found it. Her quiver was there too. Krisa kneeled, and slowly put the quiver on her back. The bow remained in her hand as she brushed her thumb against it’s engraving once as if to send a message to her lost partner that she was still alive and well.

Krisa darted back inside again, and looked at Kahn seriously “It doesn’t look all that safe outside. I think those who are left are pretty dangerous.” As she looked upon them she could tell her words were right. They were mostly armed, and were skulking the ruins like a murder of crows after a blood bath. “But I’m a fairly decent shot by now, where are you headed?” She asked him, keeping her voice hushed

[Chakahn]

Kahn had been on his feet since dusk of the previous evening, and his stamina was wearing thin. Krisa seemed pleasant enough. A little fuzzy, perhaps, but she had thankfully dropped the gratitude, leaving Kahn slightly less lost for words. Compliments didn't fly free throughout the hardy Drykas race, and had certainly rarely been aimed at the his generation of the Snowgrass family.
He grimaced as she spoke, apologising on the bird's behalf. "Well, that bird had better steer clear - I like my skin intact," he replied, watching her eyes flit across his own body, taking in his rather weather-stained appearance. The lilt to her voice sounded familiar; he knew he'd heard the accent before but he couldn't quite place it. Akalak, perhaps, Myrian, Inarta? He shrugged it off, deciding to resolve the train of thought some other time.
"Oh no, my bow!" she exclaimed, hurrying out the door. So she's an archer, he mused. His people, too, were commonly skilled in the field. He himself fared better with a sword or spear in has hand, but he had made it a point to practise the skill sometime soon.

Stifling a yawn, he pulled his cloak tighter around his body. A low whistle breezed through his teeth, making a pair of white, furry ears prick up and swivel towards him. Alone with Sanshae for a brief moment, Kahn turned towards his approaching comrade and leaned in, resting his head sleepily against the horse's forehead. He inhaled deeply, the horsey smell sending brief fragments of home drifting through his mind like a long-lost dream. The coarse hair of Sans's forelock against his skin soothed him, and his lips curved into a slight smile. They hadn't been travelling together for more than three months - the agreeable white stallion had only recently replaced his beloved Karal. The high-spirited, perky Eyktolian Desertbred had been twenty-three when Kahn embarked on his journey north, and had declined in health almost as soon as the first shred of chill hit the autumn air. Though he loved both horses fiercely, Kahn's thoughts flooded wistfully to the plains of the Sea of Grass, where a Cyphrus Strider had yet to pledge his bond to Kahn. As he had acquired Karal and Sanshae, neither of the pair had earned him the right to sport windmarks.

Krisa's figure reappeared in the doorway, her hand firmly clutching the bow she had been searching for. He started leading Sanshae towards the door, nodding in agreement at her words. "Yes, we'd do well to move quickly. You took quite a thrashing from that window, though. Do you ride? If your legs pain you, Sanshae can carry you. Just don't think about taking off without me," he warned, a vivid adolescent memory springing immediately to mind; it was not a scenario he wanted a repeat of. He couldn't tell if she wanted further help from him, but she was welcome to it. "I was on my way to find lodging when the earthquakes hit. The Solar Winds is where I plan on staying, so that's where I'll go next." He eyed the bow, wondering if her shot was indeed as good as she claimed. "And if I were you, I'd get those wounds patched up properly; I'm no professional. Do you have a place to go?"

A group of thick-skinned people passed rudely between Krisa and himself, cutting off his next sentence. His eyes narrowed as he listened for their fading footfalls, disliking the ominous looks they had given him. He could feel Sanshae growing restless beside him once more, picking up on his own eagerness to be off the roads.

OOCJust a footnote - Kahn hasn't made the special bond between a Cyphrus Strider; windmarks are earned from that point on. It came up in another thread, too, I should have put it clearer somewhere. My bad ^^

~

[Krisa]

Riding a horse. Oh dear. They were so tall… and so uncomfortable. She’d seen one or two on her way to Lhavit, but never up close like this. She’d certainly never experienced riding one before. But she could try? “Uh, ah, well. How hard can it be?” She laughed half-heartedly looking up at the horse and realizing she wouldn’t even know how to begin getting all the way up there by herself, especially when every movement was painful. “Solar wind? That’s where I live. Looks like we’re headed the same way anyway.” She smiled at his further concern “Yes, I’ll go tomorrow to get them looked at.” She agreed. She was surprised by the men that past them, snarling like feral dogs as they did so. That didn’t bode well. Her footsteps quickened, and she made sure her hands were ready at any moment to grab an arrow. “Shyke… what has gotten into people…” She muttered.

It had been such a crime free city. Most people she met were friendly and hospitable. The Shinya kept everything under control with an iron fist. It was worrying to Krisa that the iron had been broken down. It was as if Lhavit was a dying husk now. Krisa had to hope that it wouldn’t be long before things went back to normal. She wondered how high the death toll was, and then shuddered. She’s nearly added to that number, however high it already was, it could only get higher, never decrease.

Her grip on her bow was white-knuckled now, despite how it hurt her to grip something so tightly. This pain didn’t really qualify anymore. She looked at the horse once more and turned to Khan “At any rate, there’s no way I’m getting up there by myself” She admitted, feeling battered and dizzy at the thought of it. Maybe walking was better after all.

Something made her stop suddenly. “Those men… they’ve stopped up ahead” She hissed, slowing down her pace. There was less of them than before though. Where were the rest of them gone? She didn’t like this, not one bit. Was it an ambush? But what the hell would these people want with two random human’s and a horse? It didn’t make any sense. “This… really doesn’t bode well…” Who knew… maybe there was hope. Maybe they were just waiting for someone else, and Krisa and Khan could just pass right by them “Lets go a different way.” She whispered, and veered off towards the maze-like streets of Lhavit. It would be longer, but this way, they didn’t have to pass these shady men by…

Krisa had a bad feeling that they weren't out of this yet. Which one of them were they targeting? Or was it like Krisa had reasoned… and they weren't after either of them. Still… better to hurry.

[Chakahn]

An amused chuckle rippled from Kahn's throat at Krisa's rhetorical question. How hard could it be, indeed. However naturally the art of horsemanship came to his people, even the most skilled riders had started at ground level. He remembered his own struggle of learning, and his brothers' struggles, and his sisters' struggles. He looked her up and down, taking in her apprehension of actually mounting the horse. Perhaps she had better keep both feet anchored firmly to the ground. Long months far from home still hadn't got him used to the fact that the majority of the population, excepting the Drykas, had never ridden a horse and some had only glimpsed one once or twice. It was astonishing.

His companion stopped without warning, a renewed tenseness to her posture. He could see that the hold on her bow was so tight that her fingers were almost the colour of Sanshae's fur. 'Those men .. they've stopped up ahead,' she hissed. He followed her gaze, the uneasiness he had felt when they passed extending further. They had indeed slowed to a halt, and were clustered together, their eyes glittering maliciously. Kahn did a quick head count, his brow creasing further in concern when he was finished at three. Their number had irrevocably decreased, and he disliked to think where the surplus members had disappeared off to.
His hand trailed to his belt, his heart rate ascending as his fingers slid over the supple leather where his sword used to hang. The only instrument of defence his possessions offered him was the small knife in the inside pocket of his sweeping cloak. He frowned, praying to the gods that today wouldn't boil down to a fight.

Krisa made a sharp change to their direction and he followed suit meekly; after all the trouble he had gone to to keep her alive, he couldn't just leave her now could he? Besides, she clearly knew her way around a lot better than he did, and she was headed to the same destination. He eyed the bow approvingly and decided that he was willing to gamble on her accuracy of shot.
Soon enough, he had lost track of the route she was guiding them through. "I hope you know where you're going," he commented doubtfully, shooting glances up and down the unfamiliar alleys. "We might just be paranoid here, there's no actual reason anyone would follow us. I'm new here and you've been out of the running all day." Although, it was true that he had no knowledge of what she had done prior to their meeting, what kind of person she was and what debts she might have running. He would just have to trust her. His instinct told him that she could be trusted, so he kept his doubts hidden.

He wasn't paying attention to the road. While his thoughts had drifted to her possible background, he had forgotten to focus on the here and now. The remnant of the group had spread out before them, forming a solid obstruction and barring their passage. They were silent, angry, ominous. Kahn tensed, jerking the horse to a stop. A low curse rolled off his tongue in Pavi, voicing his regret of dragging Sanshae all the way up with him - he should have listened and stabled him at the traveller's rest down below. The steep winding streets of Lhavit wouldn't do an thundering escape on horseback any justice.

"Krisa," he warned sharply, turning on his heel at the sound of approaching footsteps. The three men that she had noted a couple of streets back had resurfaced, cutting off the clear way out behind them. His hand snaked into his cloak, caressing the hem of the knife in anticipation. She had been right, this did not bode well at all. He didn't want to need it, he didn't want to have to defend himself today. Though he was no complete rookie in the field of a fist fight, this was not the manner in which he had imagined himself making an entrance into the diamond city of Kalea.

~

[Krisa]

He probably thought she was paranoid. Heck, if he did, he’d be right. Krisa had doubts about everything. Even in the most unthreatening situations, she could easily start to get nervous. He’d confirmed her train of thought pretty soon after they’re veered off course. She’d lived here long enough now to know where she was going. Her choice of way was very roundabout, but she’d get them there. “Better to be safe than sorry… I’m about as paranoid as they come…” Krisa replied. She continued to make her way forward, eyes darting around every which way. The fact that not all of them had been there when they’d stopped before was a constant source of anxiety. Where did they go? Could this be some kind of ambush? Whispers rung inside her head, as if monsters were waking up from a deep slumber ‘They’re gonna kill you both’ ‘You’re done for’ ‘Run…RUN’

But running wasn’t an option. She heard Kahn swear in another language, and looked in the direction he was looking “Shyke..!” She skidded to a dead stop and watched with horror as enemys boxed them in “Oh no… no this was a mistake… I’ve let them close us in…” She hissed, angry with herself for allowing this to happen. She would have been better off in the plaza, where there was more room for an escape. The men were all armed, and snarling like dogs. Krisa made herself put on a brave face. She couldn’t let them hurt her rescuer. If it was for him, she could work up the courage to fight. She knew full well she could die, but she couldn’t let Kahn be murdered. “What is it that you want from us?” She yelled loudly to them. Maybe she could reason with them. Maybe it wouldn’t have to come to her using her bow. They were all at fairly close range, and that was a good thing.

She’d used Lem’s bow more than she’d counted on so far, coming to Lhavit. She’d killed a man already. It was in a situation not too different to this one. There was a girl… a stranger, whom she wanted to keep from harm. But that hadn’t been why she’d killed him. She did it because she valued her own life… over the bandit’s life. He probably had just as many memories, just as many cherished faces, just as many years on this earth as she… but when he’d tried to kill her, she’d offed him first.

She shivered, and the world came back into focus “You best get out of the way little girly. This man stole from out client! He’s gotta pay for it…with blood!” Krisa’s jaw dropped. Hired arms… mercenaries? Oh gods… they were probably skilled. Krisa lifted her bow and retrieved her first arrow. She pulled it taut and, with a steady grip, and steady breathing, she aimed it at the heart of the man who had spoken. “I can’t let you do that” She tried to look as threatening as she could… but it was clear from the smirks and laughs of the men that she was being underestimated. Krisa needed to prove that she was serious… she knew that they would attack if she didn’t, but… god damn it… she hated murder. And so she hesitated…

They were armed… all of them. Long swords, cutlass’s and a brute with an axe: But nothing ranged. Long as she kept her distance, she had the advantage. That advantage would fade fast though, she didn’t pull herself together. Then one of them motivated her. He looked like the ringleader. He approached at a leisurely pace, holding up his curved blade threateningly. “I’m warning you..!” Krisa yelled. He kept walking, and Krisa let the arrow fly. At a range like this, she couldn’t miss. The arrow pierced his shoulder and he screamed with pain. Krisa’s eyes widened, but she didn’t have time to be horrified. Confidence was turning into coldblooded fury. All around them, angry yells filled the air. “I-I Warned him…! Y-You wanna be next? Try something! I petching DARE you!” Her threats didn’t sound so laughable now that she’d fired. He’d probably live, if he got help in time… but she doubted he would.

[Chakahn]

Every muscle in Kahn's body was tense. He was sorely outnumbered and flanked by both an injured companion and a horse that she couldn't and he wouldn't ride. His only comfort was the small knife he carried, so he hoped with all his might that Krisa's archery was exceptional. They were in the advantage if the men kept their distance. Kahn shot nervous glances to every corner his eye could find, fearful of catching sight of the metal gleam of the Shinyas' armour. Riots had been stop-start throughout the day so chances were, they were occupied elsewhere. His mind worked furiously, thinking up any way possible in which an appearance from the city guards could work to their advantage.

He strained his ears, waiting anxiously for the hostile party to answer Krisa's shaky question. Stole from their client? His eyes narrowed, his thoughts flitting back to a couple of bells earlier that day. He groaned inwardly as the realisation hit him, cursing his luck heatedly in his mind.
"Stealing? Those herbs would have lasted mere hours, perhaps a day with fortune on your side. You'd have tossed them in the trash without a second glance," he retorted angrily, directing his words at the frontman. The man scowled, curling his lip in anger and raising his cutlass aggressively. Kahn cast a glance at Krisa to see how she was taking the ambush. His heartbeat accelerated as he took in her battle-ready stance. She had pulled her bow upright, an arrow already teasing the tight flow of the string. Kahn paced on the spot restlessly, his head snapping back to one troop of men to the other as hearty laughs followed Krisa's defensive statement. Anger flared up inside him, blending immaculately with his apprehension. "Krisa," he hissed again, under his breath. "Don't be the one to start the fight, it's what they--"

His words were rendered worthless as she released the tension in her arm muscles. The arrow sailed, and screams of agony filled the air as the sharp point hit its mark. "No, no, no," he groaned, shooting her an impatient glare. This time, it was not his own impatience that had gotten the better of him in a fight - someone had beat him to the punch.

Howls of rage cut through the air, and both sides advanced. Kahn calculated swiftly, deciding in an instant's decision to focus their power on the two remaining in front. His eyes widened slightly at the swiftness of their recovery from the lunge on their thick-skinned companion, and how they stepped over their fallen companion almost dismissively. He could see they weren't going to drag this out, they were hit-and-run to the core. Hired blades like these made it their trade to move swiftly, dancing just out of reach of the law.
Dropping his hold on Sanshae's rope, he made his move. The small knife swung out from his belt, flashing as it appeared out in the open. Lunging forward without hesitation, he plunged the tip into the inside of the second man's leg, grimacing at the sound of his skin and muscle tearing apart painfully. The man dropped to his knees, wailing in agony. Kahn propelled himself backward, lunging to avoid the swinging metal. He was just in time to avoid a blow from the curved blade still clamped in the man's hand, only to skid into the tip of the the third man's sword. A yelp tore from his throat as a streak of pain skimmed his side and he pivoted, falling back to where Krisa had stood.

Counting their four remaining adversaries, his head was reeling. One in front, three still behind. "Aim for the one in front," he hissed to Krisa, spinning his attention to the three dangerously close behind him. "Don't kill - just injure!" Keeping his eyes locked on the threesome, he attempted to play on their fears, hoping that they'd be the ones to make a retreat.
He raised his voice, addressing the whole party. A menacing note laced the words, and he shot warning glares all around. "Two men down over a pile of dying herbs. Call it a day, fellas, or the Shinya will be here soon and we'll all be damned."

~

[Krisa]

OOC NoteHi! I may have gotten a little carried away and taken over a little. If you have any problems with anything that happened, let me know and I’ll change it right away

Krisa had lost ground… quickly. She had zero combat experience, and these men knew that. She was too nervous, to the point where it made her more a danger too them than it would have if she were confident in herself. She heard Khan’s impatience at her hasty move. She was trying to keep her ground, but it had back fired horribly as more targets than she could effectively shoot at yelled a bloodthirsty battle cry and advanced on her and Khan like a pack of lions. Khan spun and dodged, and so did Krisa. Having lost her ground, she could only use her arrows to stab hands that carried swords. A cutlass swung at her head and she threw herself to the floor and stabbed her arrow into his foot. He cried out and made a wild downwards swing at her head, forcing the redhead to roll backwards. Her whole body screamed with pain as some of her wounds tore open “PETCH” She cried out as blood once again escaped from her wounds.

Then she heard another sound of pain, not from the enemy, but from her companion. Unfortunately the distraction had provided another man with a window to make up the space her backwards barrel roll had afforded her. Just one man was on her side now, and he’d advanced quickly. She notched an arrow and he lost his nerve, backing away slightly and eyeing the three buddies he had left on the other side. Khan tried to reason with them. The problem was their over inflated egos, and their pride. She knew the foolishness of pride all too well. Even with all stakes layed against them they would not back down, she could see it in their eyes.

Krisa was exhausted, and her whole body seemed to pulse with pain. She didn’t have the stamina to put on a brave face much longer, especially with some of her injuries now re-opened and gaping. But Khan was only armed with a knife. There was no way he could possibly defeat four angry armed men by his lonesome. She had to suck it up. She’d dealt with physical and mental pain her entire life. If it was for him, she could do it.

But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to see them in pain. Something foreign to her had stirred. Men like this were a menace who deserved to feel the pain she had felt at the hands of men, at the hands of a woman. Those bitter, angry thoughts must be controlled. She’d heard a woman in a dream once tell her that she hoped she wouldn’t become bitter and hateful. She couldn’t let herself fit that description. “We don’t give a Shyke about your herbs. But we have a contract to complete” Krisa shook her head

“What your saying is foolish. Don’t like pride be the end of your days!” She cried as sincerely as she could manage. The men all snarled, waiting for orders from their ring leader in front. “I’ll have your head, bitch!” yelled the leader, sword flashing swiftly. The others all flowed suit, angrier than before. Their rage poured more strength into their limbs. Krisa took a deep breath, and aimed for his right hand. The arrow tore through the bone and flesh and his weapon came crashing to the stone floor. The man collapsed into a fit of agony, and his friends faltered. The leader was down but while she was busy, the other three had surrounded Khan.

Krisa gasped as all three blades were thrust towards the man, and his tiny knife and did the only thing she could think to do. She jumped in front of him, roughly pushing him out of the way. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as her arrow was notched and aimed in no more than half a meter’s distance from the attackers. If she fired now, there’d be no saving whoever was shot at. And it stopped them short of breath, and of their attack. But Krisa stopped as well. “You’re leader is down. If you attack, at least one of you will fall before you can kill me. Who wants to petching volunteer!”

The sound of approaching feet made them flinch. “That’d be backup” Krisa hissed. The Shinya were coming, and the remaining men bolted. Krisa lowered her weapon and fell to her knees, breathing heavily. Pain, exhaustion was near drowned