EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ah, forgot about Leaps again. With all the characters to write for, it is easy to lose track of him. Really need to start making use of him more often, it's just that the situations we've been in have pushed him to the side. The fires probably would have scared him away, but I know how to bring him back.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth awoke shortly after Orskan left, so she did not hear what he had to say, but she did hear the others talking about going to find their belongings. She sat up on the cot and stretched her muscles, then spoke up as she was reaching to grab her armor from under the bed. "I can come help you. I think I remember seeing some of our things when I was leaving with the cultists, but I was too weak to carry them." She commented. Lorag had found a different room to sleep in the previous night, but once he woke up and was filled in on the plan, he was likely to join them in recovering their belongings as well.

Meesei gave a nod. "Alright. You may not be able to find all of our things, but I would focus on actual armor and weapons. Anything else useful you can find that the cultists haven't already taken will be helpful, of course, but those are the most valuable and hardest to replace items." Meesei recommended. "I will stay here with Rhazii to help care for him should he need it."

"So will I. I just...I need to stay with Rhazii." Ahnasha added simply, not really intent on elaborating further. "I almost forgot about the gems as well, though it would still be nice to get that book. Maybe the cult will let us take the souls of a few of those prisoners we help captured." She suggested with a surprising lack of emotion. Meesei was honestly shocked at the callous statement. To Meesei, taking the soul of a defenseless prisoner was something Ahnasha would never do, but at the moment, to Ahnasha, it couldn't make more sense. In her mind, she felt no sympathy for the mercenaries, or even their families. They might not have personally tortured her, but they worked for and enabled that scum of a noble who employed them, and the families supported them, or at least did nothing to stop them. Simply put, she placed some of the blame for her suffering onto them, she hated them, and she felt they deserved whatever happened to them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

After Kaleeth removed and set aside her armor for the night, she laid down with Janius. With everything that happened, she had almost forgotten about her feeding in the battle, but she supposed she wasn't as disturbed with it as before. It wasn't so much because she no longer felt that it was wrong as it was that she had accepted the "monster" she had become, but it was a form of progress, at least. She smiled and gave him a kiss before exhaustion took hold of her completely and she fell asleep.

---

Meesei did not know at what time she fell asleep in the night, but given the fact that she awoke slumped slumped over in a chair indicated that it had not been a conscious decision. Sabine, and indeed most of the others were still asleep, apart from Ahnasha and Fendros. Rhazii was in Ahnasha's arms nursing, not crying in pain as Meesei feared he would once she and Sabine became too tired to stay up with him.

"Are Rhazii's burns already healed?" Meesei asked once she had woken herself up enough to sit up straight.

"Not quite, at least I don't think so." Ahnasha responded. "I woke up earlier when I started to hear him whining. I don't know how long that has been. Anyway, I used some potions Sabine had set out on him and they seemed to help. His scars don't look as bad as before, but..." She began, hanging her head low as shame returned to her expression once again. "How are we ever going to explain this to him, Meesei? We failed to keep him safe. I wasn't strong enough to..."

Ahnasha was interrupted when one of the cultists, Orskan suddenly came in through the open door. "Good morning, our Lady sent me to...oookaaay." He said, stopping himself in surprise. It seemed like most of the cultists apart from Neesa herself were not accustomed to their sense of modesty, as his eyes were widened and darted back and forth between the members of the pack, particularly Meesei and Kaleeth. "You're all...well I guess that makes...sense. Anyway, well, Lady Neesa sent me to, uh, tell you that your audience regarding your...deal, will be held later this evening. She has duties to attend to because of the attack, so you can deal with your...injuries or whatever else, like going to get your belongings from the battlefield...well, if you want, of course. We're not forcing you to if you're too exhausted. I don't mind...or, I mean, I can get past the fact that...you are...I'm going to go now." Orskan said, stumbling over his words before he finally rushed out of the room with a hint of embarrassment in his expression.

Orskan's awkward embarrassment produced a few chuckles, even from Ahnasha, who was quick to drop the topic she had started on before. Even so, it was not something she could ever forget. To her, it was her fault that she had not endured the torture to save Rhazii. Sure, it was Fendros that actually gave up the information, but she could have signaled to him to stay silent. Instead, she had done nothing, and her son paid the price.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nevermind, it is far too late for a movie.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I am going to watch a movie, I'll respond later.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I can move us on in the next one.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Although she remained silent, Kaleeth could hardly bear to look at the scars on Rhazii's face once they entered the room. They looked horrifying, especially for such a young child. After Sabine pulled away from her, she did not move too close to Rhazii, so as not to risk waking him, but she did look at him with a saddened and guilt-ridden expression. "I...I wish I would have come back with you, to help protect him. My cuts were not as bad as this." She said quietly.

Meesei walked up to Kaleeth and placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke at a low volume. "Don't feel guilty; there was nothing you could have done. The fight was already over when we arrived, and you could not have outran Ahnasha. It would have ended the same way regardless." She said reassuringly.

Kaleeth nodded, not that it made her feel any better. She still hated the thought that Rhazii had to go through so much pain, and would never get rid of the scars. Nevertheless, she closed her eyes for a few moments to collect herself, then glanced around the room. She didn't know about any of the other medical rooms, but there was only one cot left open in this one, and both Meesei and Sabine were still awake. "Do you know where we can sleep for the night? Are you going to use that bed?"

Meesei shook her head. "No, I am going to stay up with Rhazii for as long as I can. You can use it."

Kaleeth gave a nod, then sat down on the cot. She looked up to Janius and waited for him to be close enough for him to hear her whispers. "Should we share this one?" She asked.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I did tell him, but I couldn't figure out why he was acting so strange. Why would he be enjoying healing so much?" Kaleeth responded, clearly not understanding Janius' meaning. Nevertheless, they left together to see what they could find. The guest rooms, which were closest to the mercenaries' entry point, were all burned. The training room was in even worse shape, and while Llarvan had stopped them before they could burn all of the cultists' quarters, the ones that were left were all occupied. Now that the area beyond the throne room was open to them, however, they had a few more options of where to go.

"The place where they took Rhazii to be healed, do you think there are any more beds there?" Kaleeth questioned as they stepped into the throne room, which was completely devoid of any other people. The only things which came close were the ebony-clad skeletal guards which still stood at the side of the two thrones.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

It's up again, for now at least. Can't guarantee it won't go down again.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Internet is working again, and I'm hoping it stays that way.