[Flashback] The Road to Endrykas (Baku)

[Dymphna]

15th of Spring, 508 AV Horsey horsey don’t you stop Just let your feet go clippetty clop The tail goes swish and the wheels go round Giddy up, we’re homeward bound. – Traditional Nursery Rhyme “You bit me! She bit me! The little bitch bit me!” bellowed a voice behind her. Two years in the making. Two years of plotting, planning, and carefully constructing her escape. When she bit the slave in the narrow corridor as she begged her to take her with her, she was in such a wave of motion that her teeth, still hurting from the rope, touched underneath the skin. She felt the tang of copper – The tale-tail sign that she’d cut through the flesh. She couldn't remember if she ripped her teeth away or released to leave the skin intact. She didn’t even have the decency to spit, though if she swallowed the taste away she wasn’t aware of it. It was simply a run of Point A to Point B. Point A was here in some underground world of Zith. Point B was the door leading out to what she guessed would be the Sea of Grass and the unmarked road to home. Somehow she’d not taken into account that there would be slaves sleeping on the grounds she moved through. Amazingly only one had woken up, and that was the one she bit. That screaming had rousted awake some of the colony. It hadn’t been part of her plan to wake anyone else up – Though later she would wonder if it was the slaves or the sound of her own heart forcing awake the creatures. It could have even possibly been the final moments of her captor’s life, where he bled out from the neck, and though drugged from whatever the Drykas girl had fed him to get him to that state, cried his silent cry for help. For some strange Zith ideal like justice yet closer to revenge. She had her revenge. Her tattered clothes were covered in the blood of the male she’d just murdered. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the dark forms of two Zith coming towards her in the air. Her breath caught, dark eyes widening. Turning violently, she started running down a path she knew would take her to an opening. Her time underground had given her ample time to learn each curve and crack in her forced world. She ducked into a tunnel, scrambling through the underpass until it finally widened so she could stand upright again. With any other animal, she’d likely have been safe – Having skittered away before her hunters could see her. But these were Zith, and she had no doubt that they could hear the drumming of her heart and the ragged shaking of her breath in the cool air she was running through. The back of her throat burned as she searched for the entrance. The brilliant glow of sunlight broke the darkness, and she gave herself no allowed pause to take in the first bit of sun she’d seen in two years. Instead she ran for it, squeezing through the naturally-made doorway that she’d only heard rumors of. It had been a gamble, but she had found it. It was there just like someone had signed to her one day. Behind her, though, she heard the scraping of claws and the swish of leathery wings held up by air and their own flapping. She forced herself out into the light, giving a little cry as a sudden violent pain went through her eyes and into her skull. “No, no, no!” she cried out to no one as she realized that her world had gone white. Careful not to turn off course, she kept moving – Her feet seeming to understand that stopping meant death. If she would have been able to stop, though, the doubt would have crept into her mind. She would have realized that the only result in this entire endeavor could be death – Even before she was able to see clearly. Instead her body was engaged in the struggle to survive like a doe with an arrow in the belly still running for life. Putting a hand to her brow helped shield the light, and when the sun went behind the clouds she thought she could almost see something. Anything… It didn’t matter. Her feet couldn’t stop. She was escaping. She was running towards Endrykas.

[Baku]

Dymphna ran, her heart beating like a thunder drumming across the sky, her lungs burning and her heart pumping like a scared rabbit. The light that Syna cast over the lands gave pain to her eyes, being trapped in the dark for so long, but such would pass with time. The problem for Dymphna, was that time turned out to be a luxury she was in short supply of as the shouts of the Zith who pursued her echoed into her ears. The flapping of their wings seemed to send a breeze downward towards her, brushing along her hair and ruffling her tattered clothing. Why hadn’t they caught her yet? Obviously they could move faster than her while traveling through the air. The answer didn’t matter to Dymphna for the the most part. If she was still running, it meant that she was still alive. Still free from their grasp, the pain they could inflict, the inevitable death. Soon something flew past her, the familiar whisper of something cutting through the air. They had just shot an arrow at her, the projectile missing it’s mark by over two feet to her left. Could it be that they missed her on purpose perhaps? It could have been that they intended to scare her into dropping to the ground, giving a warning shot to get her to surrender her struggle and be complacent. Such only caused Dymphna to veer off to the side, running in another direction. Her vision began to clear slightly more, as she saw the swaying flow of golden color, known fully to be the tall grass that normally occupied the lands she hailed from. It wasn’t quite there yet, but at least now she wouldn’t run into anything obvious. Something appeared up ahead, something a little darker in color, but not quite clear to Dymphna’s impaired vision. It didn’t quite matter to Dymphna at that point, because to turn back from it meant racing into the arms of the Zith who gave chase. She neared closer to the darkly shaped colors, the Zith now flying faster and coming closer. Could it be that she was reaching some sort of shelter? Some haven that they didn’t want her to reach. No, that wasn’t it. For as she drew closer still, she began to make out familiar shapes, the tops of the darker colors, now appearing more brown and green being similar to large trees. She was approaching a forest and suddenly the realization that, while she wouldn’t be out in the complete open, she would still be entering a territory that the Zith were far more adapt it. Still, better to take one’s chance of hiding behind trees than running back and letting them practically swoop down and grab you. Swoop down is what one of them precisely did, however, as Dymphna felt the warmed of the Zith’s skin suddenly get too close for comfort before finally making contact, pushing her to the ground. “Little Drykas bitch!” One of them yelled out, his voice full of anger and annoyance, his foot suddenly swinging and kicking her in the mid of her stomach, flipping her to her back. “You know we hate the day!” The other had landed, his foot stomping on top of Dymphna’s chest, knocking the wind from her once again. It remained there, keeping her pinned to the ground. “It’s to damned bright.” the other Zith said, groaning as Dymphna noticed he made motions to shield his eyes, almost covering them completely. “Let us kill her and return her carcass back to our lair for feasting.” “We shall feast upon your flesh tonight, little one.” the first Zith then said, pulling a dagger free from a sheath merely dangling from a rope that was tied around his waist. “For our kin that you slew.” Dymphna looked up in horror as the Zith slowly began to crouch down, reaching out for her with his blade. Suddenly, both of them paused however, looking towards the forest. “What is that?” one of them asked. “It’s too petching bright to see.” the second replied, growling slightly. “Gods damned daylight!” Suddenly, another sound of something cutting through the air began to approach, and before Dymphna knew what was happening, the Zith who had his foot pressed along her chest was suddenly hurled backwards, as if hit by a charging Olidosapux. He was hit by something small though, something that almost looked like an arrow. But it couldn’t have been an arrow, could it? Whatever struck the Zith had left a large hole, Dymphna would notice as the Zith’s body was flipped through the air from the force of what struck him, almost a foot wide. “You bastard!” The first Zith suddenly said, standing up strait as he began to spread his wings, allowing Dymphna to flee once again. Whatever the Zith hand planned, however, was quickly cut short as another projectile bolted through the air. This one struck the second Zith along his right shoulder first. The force of it had torn the Zith’s arm off completely, effectively removing his dagger wielding limb, before following through and taking his right wing along with it. The Zith spun through the air two full rotations before landing along the ground, screaming in pain as his hand reached over, grasping at the wound in a vein attempt to stop the bleeding. His screaming would stop a split second latter as a third projectile finally came down, piercing the Zith’s skull, practically causing it’s head to shatter. This time Dymphna could see the projectile clearly, her vision almost adjusting to the light of day completely, as it protruded upward from the Zith‘s skull, imbedded into the ground. It was an arrow, but one that was unlike any she had seen before. Overall, it looked like nothing more than a simple stick, with small leaves growing out at the end. More oddly, and perhaps frightening to Dymphna, was the fact that a moment later, the arrow itself began to change, it’s shaft bending and growing greener. Several stems, leaves and branches began to grow out from it, to expand as flowers bloomed at the ends of the stem and eventually gave way to small berries growing at it’s center. Before long, the arrow itself had turned into a bush, one common among the grasslands. Finally, the sound of heavy feet coming to a stop at Dymphna’s head echoed into her ears before a deep gruff voice said in common, “The petching violent ones should just learn to stay in their caves.” As Dymphna slowly turned her head to look up to who now stood over her, she saw the frame of a large man, standing close to six feet tall, his body dressed in thick leathers and dark fabrics, his face aged to someone looking in their forties, as long salt and peppered hair reached out from under the hood of his cloak, green eyes peering back down at Dymphna. A slight growth of facial hair lined his chin, cheeks and lips, suggesting he hadn’t shaved in at least two days. A large pack was strapped to his back, several contents from a woodmans axe to a rolled up rope dangled from straps along the side. At his hip, a unique looking longsword remained sheath, the hilt carrying runes etched into it’s surface. Finally, in his left hand, was carried the oddest looking object. It resembled a bow, but more to the point, it more or less resembled a crudely crafted bow. It was crooked and bent in several places, as opposed to the generally smooth, curved shaft of bow. Bark still covered the shaft of the bow itself, a twig with two small leaves at it’s center, just above his hand. The string of the bow looked to be nothing more than a length of vine, growing from one end of the bow into the other. Essentially, the bow the human carried in his hand looked like nothing more than a tree branch that had been strung together from end to end. The human tilted his head slightly, gazing down at Dymphna. Suddenly, he said in almost perfect Pavi, “You should have just dropped into the grass Kitten. Zith are nocturnal, they don’t see to well in the daytime.” He then slowly crouched down, his face wincing slightly as the joints of his knees popped when they bent past a certain point. His hands rested along top of his legs, his arm hooking around the bow as it leaned against him. “My name’s Olevar, Kitten. Gin Olevar.” Olevar then said, still speaking Pavi waiting for a moment of silence to pass between them. “Well, you got a name, or are you going to just let me keep calling you Kitten?”

[Dymphna]

If what the Zith were speaking to her was Common, there was the comfort that in two years time she’d only been able to pick up the demands and not fully what they were saying. If they were speaking Pavi to her, which sometimes a few of them felt compelled to do, she simply didn’t understand it. However, as she hit the ground, shuddering at the feeling of the touch, she felt a strange sort of victory in her defeat. She’d killed a Zith. She’d done enough to piss off another two quite badly. And despite the ache in her belly from them kicking her, as one pulled the dagger – Something she’d later wonder if she saw or if she’d just heard – she cast a cocky, sneering grin up at her captors. It was the type of expression that only a teenager could provide. She wasn’t content to die. The way she sprang up from her spot and went scrambling off at the first chance she had to escape gave that away. At the sound of the other Zith going down, she simply fell over, though, clutching at her stomach. Well, that was until she watched the arrow in the Zith’s head start to turn into something far different. It was then that she started flopping about on the ground like a fish out of water. Yes, she could see. Yes, she was free from the Zith. But her stomach hurt and something about her rib felt off. Then, of course, there was the terror of what she’d just seen, which was likely what rendered her unable to move more than flail and kick. When the man didn’t reach out to touch her, she stilled the slightest bit – Seemingly shocked that he hadn’t done so. She looked like a wild little animal with her red hair in a giant mat of tangles and blood smeared across her face, centering on her lips. The look in her eyes was likely even worse. While it looked like she’d been a slave likely all her life, her Pavi was too educated for that life, and her name was an even stronger (and obvious) indication. She sniffed at him a little before saying, “Dymphna Whitefeather of the Opal Clan.” She glanced from his face to his weird bow to his giant sword and back again, unsure of what to make of him.

[Baku]

Olevar gave a nod as he listened to Dymphna finally respond. “Part of the Drykas then?” Olevar then said as he reached up to one end of the bow, slowly pulling the vine string away from it with a subtle snap. “Seems you’re a far way from the tent city then.” The vine then slowly began to retreat into the other end of the bow, as if the organic string was being taken back into it until a little stem was left at the other end alone. Olevar then slipped the Woodland Wrath over his back, slipping it between his pack and back. Several vines then began to grow out from all over Woodland Wrath, encircling Olevar, securing the weapon firmly to its owner. Olevar’s eyes then fell down Dymphna as his hands rested along the top of his knees. “Are you hurt Dymphna?” Olevar said looking over her for a moment. “I don’t see any wounds on you, but you do look a little worn. How long have you been captured for?”

[Dymphna]

She took a deep breath, and when she did so she gave a little wince. It likely should have been a bit stronger of a grimace, but her tolerance of pain had grown threefold in captivity. Instead of explaining where she hurt, she took to ripping off the hem of her dress. Her scrawny legs and knobby knees were covered in scratches, bruises and scars that would eventually fade with time. "My ribs hurt," she explained quietly. She shifted then, closing her eyes tightly to hide them seeming to tear up, as she moved to wrap her own ribs with the fabric she'd harvested. "I fell into something when running through the caverns." She twisted the ends of the fabric together, visibly clenched her teeth, and pulled to tighten the make-due wrap she put around herself. "I... I don't know." She looked around, trying to figure out what season it was. "I've been underground for a long time..." Her face screwed up in frustration. She'd not even thought to try to keep track of time. She'd been too concerned about escaping.

[Baku]

Olevar watched Dymphna as she began tear at the hem of her shirt, pulling a strap free as she began to wrap it over her bruised ribs. “You didn’t have to do that kiddo,” Olevar said, quirking a brow, “I had a kit and would have patched you up.” Olevar then nodded as Dymphna began speaking about her enslavement for a short time as he rubbed his chin. “Well, we’re still in the beginning of spring, we’re in the year 509.” Olevar said, letting Dymphna regain her concept of time as he slowly stood up. “Alrighty kiddo, if you’re still able to walk, we should likely get moving. We’ll want to get off a trail that these buggers can track as well we’ll want to get out of here before a Glassbeak or some predator begins following the scent of blood from these Zith bodies.” Olevar then suddenly sniffed the air, looking down to the young Drykas girl. “There’s also a stream about a mile west of hear. You’re going to need to bath. Too many scents on you for animals to track.” Olevar then said. “I’ll wrestle up some food for us while you’re doing that. Sound good enough for your first day of freedom?”

[Dymphna]

"I... I'm used to doing things on my own," she said quietly, a little apologetically. She had, after all, depended almost solely on herself. Perhaps she wasn't the best at it, but for a young Drykas not yet at adulthood she was still alive and away from the safety of her pavilion. At the mention of the year, she looked out at the world around her, still reeling from the colors, scents, and sounds of the above-ground world. It seemed to surreal to be back in it after being in such a foreign land. The corners of her lips tipped down into a frown, though. She teared up, though it was clear that she was doing her very best to be brave. She'd been forced to be brave. Her dark eyes moved back to Olevar, giving a tiny nod. "Two years then. I'd just turned thirteen when my camp was attacked..." Her attention had turned back to one of the Zith's bodies, gaze locking on something. Anger clearly grew on her face. She moved over to the body, bending down next to it. On his belt, he had two sickles. She removed them, perhaps a little too roughly for someone owning such a small body and membership to the healing clan, standing up as her thumb slipped over the handle as if trying to rub off something on it. "These were my mother's," she explained quietly. "They're mine now." She gave a decisive nod before starting off in the direction he'd indicated for the stream. The wave she gave him was actually Grassland Sign for agreeing with him. Her head turned back to look to give him a look. "I'll meet you there then," she paused slightly. "No mushrooms." And with that she was off, clutching onto the sickles that seemed a little big for her. For someone who had just ran for her life and nearly lost it, she seemed too calm. Whether she was numbed from her time with the Zith, or she was just experiencing shock, there was something off about her. And given whatever state that was, her walk to the stream became such a blur that, by the time she got there, she didn't have any recollection of the path she'd taken at all. At the edge of the stream, she paused to look around. She was loathe to get undressed. Spring water was still colder than she liked, and then there was the case of unwrapping her ribs and having them re-wrapped. It would hurt. If her strange hero came, he would likely want to help her, and if that was the case he'd touch her. Not that she felt any worry of something horrible happening from that... Though there had been a time in her life that sort of thing would have worried her. It was just that she didn't want anyone touching her for any purpose. For two years it had brought unimaginable pain. With a deep breath she took careful steps over the rocks. She moved to cut little holes into her ragged clothes to temporarily hold her sickles, because she was afraid to leave them behind. Once they were secure she simply walked into the water and sat down clothing and all as soon as she thought it would be deep enough to come to her chest. She closed her eyes as the stream moved around her, a tiny smile creeping onto her lips despite the chill of it. Bowing her head forward, she brought water up to her face to wash the blood and dirt away. Then she leaned back enough that she could put her hair into the water - Deft fingers moving in an attempt to untangle the knots from her red hair. And as she rang the blood from the fabric she wore, she realized maybe she would have had to get her clothes wet anyway to take away the scents Olevar had spoken of. By the time he got there, Dymphna was sitting in the sun on dry land. She was huddled into herself and shivering a little, clearly soaking wet from head to toe. The girl was almost a completely different-looking creature clean, her hair obviously red and her skin painfully pale from her time underground. She was simply staring out across the way, wondering if the Web extended out this far.

[Baku]

Dymphna would soon feel a thick blanket being draped over her shoulders, it’s thick fabric both starting to dry her and keep her body warmth contained, the shivers eventually coming to a stop. When she turned around, she would see Olevar standing over her, giving a sidelong glance over her face. “You know, you’re pretty quick for a young one recently escaped.” Olevar said as he dropped a thick rope to the ground. “You got out of earshot of my voice before I could even drag this out for you to take with.” As Dympna began to follow the rope that Olevar had been holding, it’s lengths slinking through the thick grass, she spotted near it’s end, the shine of something reflective, as Syna’s fading light caught it just right. Something that looked like glass. If she stood to observe more closely, she would spot the body of an adult Glassbeak lying along the ground, dead and dragged back to camp by Olevar. “I travel close to a half mile for something to hunt, and then only thing I find this area’s predatory birds.” Olevar commented, giving the Glassbeak corpse a small nudge with his foot. “Ugly critters, but still, good eating. Tastes just like chicken.” Olevar then looked back to Dymphna, his hands resting along his hips as he studied her for a moment. “How much do you know about setting up camp?” Olevar then plainly asked before thumbing in direction of the Glassbeak. “It’s going to take a bit for me to clean this beastie, and I was hoping you could give me hand with the other aspects.”

[Dymphna]

“You learn to move fast when upsetting someone means they’ll eat you.” She pulled the blanket tightly to her, peering up at Olevar. There was a touch of caution in her eyes, still fully unsure on if she should trust him or not. She didn’t really have much of a choice, though. It was him or no one. And with nothing to her name save wet clothes and two sickles. The next person to come along could be much, much worse. Much worse. He’d at least given her a blanket and gone to get food for them. Standing up, she scurried over to the fallen Glassbeak, a hand moving to smooth over his feathers. There was a glance up to Olevar then she looked down again, petting at the corpse. Very softly she said, “Don’t kick at him. I think they’re beautiful… I’m sure the deer think we’re ugly, too.” She stood up, pulling the blanket around her again. “I know enough about it to do what I know how to do.” She peered at him again, pursing her lips like she wanted to say something before moving off. “I’ll build a fire.”

[Baku]

As Dymphna went to starting a fire, Olevar reached behind him, pulling a long bladed knife free from its sheath, kneeling down next to the Glassbeak. He gave a slight grunt as he lowered himself, his knee joints popping a little. He soon went to work on cleaning the Glassbeak, his knife cutting past the feathers and into the flesh as he muttered in soft complaint of how difficult it was to clean a bird because of the feathers alone. Close to a five chimes would pass as Dymphnya worked on the camp fire. Before long, the beak and talons of the beast were dropped to the ground next to her. “They’re yours kiddo. Since you’re heading back to the Tent City, you can trade them off or sell them, help you get back on your feet if you need to.” Olevar then suggested before moving back to the Glassbeak itself, continuing to cut into it as he grunted as he did so. “You have an idea of what you’re trade will be?”