EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I think we have time." Ahnasha commented, taking in a deep breath as she sat herself up. "We are probably going to have a lot of chances to hunt soon, but a swim sounds nice. It would help me cool down, certainly. I just...do you remember the kind of water Meesei said is best to swim in? I know standing water can have a lot of parasites or dangerous creatures, but there are also some rivers we are not supposed to swim in as well. Do you think this river looks like one of the safe ones?" She questioned, staring out over the water for a few moments before letting out a sigh.

"Well, whatever we do, I just want to make sure we do something. Only months ago, we used to laugh and spend time together whenever we had a moment. We had...romance. I don't want that to die so quickly." She said, putting her arm around him and giving him a kiss, this time keeping it up for longer than usual.

"Of course." Meesei said with a smile. Despite the fact that it was ultimately for fighting, she had always felt like she wanted to teach Sabine about magic, both because she enjoyed sharing her arcane knowledge, and because she felt like it would be a good way for them to bond. "As I mentioned, it is helpful to have some training with a blade for emergencies, but magic is...wonderful, In my opinion. There are always mysteries to solve when learning about the arcane, and there is so much more to it beyond just spells used in combat. I believe it is to me what alchemy is to you, though really, magic and alchemy are closely related. I hope you will find it as interesting as I do."

It was not difficult to collect unique samples from each of the plants growing around them, but it was more difficult to catch animals. Most of the insects flying around them were fleshflies, which were essentially useless for alchemy, but she did notice a few fish and other kinds of creatures swimming by her feet. Although the water was quite murky, she did manage to spot a long, eel-like creature closer to the surface. She stood perfectly still and waited for it to slow down before suddenly reaching down to grab it. She just barely managed to grab a hold of its tail and pull it out of the water, but she quickly found that it was slipping from her grasp. As she secured it with her other hand, she noticed that the creature was absolutely covered in a thick, clear mucus, which now covered her hands. It made it exceptionally slippery, so with it writhing in her hands, she could easily lose her grip on it. A quick shock was all that was needed to kill it, but that did not get rid of the mucus. Still, there was a possibility that it could be useful, so Meesei reluctantly stuffed the creature, along with a fair amount of its mucus, into one of her pouches. "Well, that is disgusting." She muttered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's about time for me to go to bed. Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha stopped and sat down by the edge of the water, then let out a sigh. "There is just so much we have to do, isn't there? I do not think that is going to change, but...maybe taking the opportunities when we can will help with out current...problems. Or maybe it won't. I don't know, there is so much that isn't certain. We may never get a chance to be by ourselves, but we have to have hope, I suppose."

Ahnasha laid down on her back and looked up at the small patches of sky she could make out between the leaves of the tree canopy. She felt that she was starting to get used to the marsh, even its heat. Not that she would miss it when they were gone, of course. "I don't suppose there is anything particularly interesting you can think to do in a swamp, is there?" She questioned.

Meesei's scales were thick enough to help fend of many kinds of parasites in the marsh. She was not immune to them, but it wasn't anything a brief charge of lightning could not solve once she was out of the water. In the meantime, she carefully picked a few of the spiky reeds, then collected a sample of a strange red algae she had never seen before. It was impossible to tell just from looking what might hold an alchemical effect, so her solution for the moment was to collect everything she could.

"I am not too fond of fighting either, but it is something we must do. You can pursue any form of combat you feel would be best. You may only be a fourteen year old girl, but your beast blood gives you the strength to hold your own in a direct fight if you need to. I would recommend you get some training in the use of a blade from one of the others, perhaps Janius, but you do not need to focus on it if you would rather concentrate on another form of defense. I myself am not greatly talented in swordsmanship. Magic is my defense, and it is another route you could take. I would be more than happy to teach you how to effectively harness the magicka within you. Your upbringing in the coven may give you an advantage in learning about the arcane arts." Meesei explained.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I don't know. I mean...I do, but..." Ahnasha began, trying to figure out where she should begin. Given how deep in the swamp they were, it did not take long for them long for them to reach a wide body of water, somewhere between a river and a lake, so she started walking along its edge, looking out over the water absentmindedly. "Do you remember when we first met? That day, after you were introduced to the pack and we decided to go find your stash of wine. Do you remember what we did? We played a game of tag. Do you remember back in Morrowind when we spent an entire day together just...enjoying ourselves? What has changed? It has only been a few months, and yet I could hardly imagine us doing the same things now. Even before the...torture. I just...do you think it will be possible for us to be like that again?"

Once they left camp, Meesei started to keep an eye out for plants she did not recognize, as well as the few she knew were valuable. In the deeper parts of the marsh, many of the more interesting plants and other things that could be used for alchemy actually grew in the waters themselves. Some grew out of the riverbeds like reeds, while others floated on top of the water. In any case, collecting them meant wading out into the water, which is precisely what they had to do. After a few minutes, they came across a large body of standing water with plenty of life growing on its surface. Its deepest point only seemed to reach up to Meesei's waist, but the murky waters were still annoying for even Meesei to wade through, given how muddy the bottom was. Of course, she did have another reason for wanting to speak with Sabine, though she wished it was not necessary.

"Sabine, there is something I would like to speak to you about." Meesei began as she started examining a spiky reed near the base of a tree. "Recent events have caused me to start thinking about the pack's safety. As lycans, we have always been stronger, and faster than most threats, but we are not perfect. We can make mistakes. This war we are going into, it is going to bring us into danger much more often than we are used to, and against stronger foes. That is why...I think it is time to start your training for more...direct forms of combat. Do not mistake me, you were very helpful in the battle in the village, but you may not always be able to stay on the sidelines, or take on your lycan form. There may be times where you are forced to fight head on, and in close range. I would feel much safer if you were trained for it."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Thankfully, Ahnasha was able to get a few more hours of sleep before it was time to awaken. By this point, they were in some of the deeper parts of the marsh, so good places to set up camp were becoming more difficult to find. Fortunately, they had managed to find a relatively dry location atop a hill, so Meesei had decided that they would remain there for a few days so that they could search the area for prey, or anything else of value. They had already spent one day hunting, and they did manage to kill a few creatures, but they were all fairly mundane. Meesei did notice that the part of the marsh they were in had plants which were entirely unique to the area. Although she did not know which specific plants were valuable, Sabine could test them for any alchemical uses, even without a full set of proper alchemical equipment. She intended to go with Sabine to search for ingredients, but more than that, there was a matter that had been on her mind for some time which she felt she needed to discuss with her.

After their breakfast, Meesei gathered up as many empty pouches as she could, then approached Sabine by the fire. "Are you ready to search for ingredients, Sabine?"

In the time since her nightmare, Ahnasha had been thinking, and not about the torture this time. Instead, her thoughts were on events that happened months ago. It was a slow process, but she noticed that something had changed over the past few months, and she wondered if doing something about that might help their current problems. After eating her breakfast and feeding Rhazii, she walked back to Fendros and sat down beside him. "Fendros...can you do me a favor? Can you go on a walk with me, alone? I have been thinking about something, and I want to talk to you. I think Meesei and Sabine are going ingredient hunting, the others can take care of Rhazii. I just...I really want to talk to you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once Rhazii awoke, Ahnasha started to try and quiet herself down so as to at least not wake the others. Neither she nor Fendros had been spared from the scars of their experiences. There was no real way to know if the nightmares were going to cease, and if she could stop herself from having flashbacks to it while she was awake. She had to admit, what Fendros suggested was appealing. They knew now that there was no way for them to guarantee Rhazii's safety, especially with the danger they were going to be stepping into, but still, Ahnasha could not bring herself to abandon her obligations to Hircine and the pack. She still had enough willpower that no amount of nightmares could make her abandon them.

"You know there is no time for that, Fendros." Ahnasha whispered. "We have to get to Bruma. Who knows what Clavicus Vile's followers might do the pack they are seeking. Even if we haven't met them, they are our brothers and sisters. We can't just delay...or do nothing. We have to stay strong. It might still get better." She said, looking down with tear-filled eyes. "I hope it gets better."

Ahnasha leaned herself against Fendros and looked down to Rhazii in his arms. He was still awake, but Fendros had managed to calm his whimpers. In all honesty, she was not even convinced by her own words, but there was nothing she could think of that would make this easy. All she could hope to do was endure.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth shook her head. "No. I always heard it is like an endless lake, but really salty. I think my father mentioned it so that I would not try to drink the water if we ever ended up there. I think it will be interesting to see a lake that never ends, but still...leaving Black Marsh. I never thought that would ever happen to me." She commented. No doubt, it would take her quite a while to get used to the idea of leaving her homeland, but she did have time.

For Ahnasha, taking the book and glancing through its pages did not produce a smile. It was not that she was not glad to have it, but that she was having a hard time bringing herself to be happy with all that was on her mind. Still, the book would be a good distraction, a way to keep herself occupied whenever she was doing nothing, and her thoughts could wander.

---

Pain. It was all Ahnasha could feel. She was lying on her back on what felt like a cold stone slab, with sharp points stabbing into her flesh. She could not move, though she had no bindings.Standing over her was the faceless, shadowy figure with the cruel, jagged knife in his hands. He cut her open, discarding the flesh like damaged hide. She was filled with familiar pain and horror, blood poured from the wound, but the pain never diminished and she remained perfectly awake. Everything else around her was in shadow, except for a table next to her which was illuminated by a single candle. On the table laid Rhazii, bound by leather straps and screaming at the top of his lungs, with fur that was wet and shining as if covered in oil.

"You deserve this, you know." The figure above her said as it reached into her chest cavity and pulled on one of her ribs hard enough that it cracked, then broke off in his hand. The pain was unbearable, but still she lived. "You are a worthless cat; a worthless mother." He continued, breaking off another rib. "You are a curse on him, and would be better off dead." He taunted. After breaking enough ribs, he cut out her lung, then severed the artery just above the heart, yet she still lived. He reached in with his other hand and ripped the heart from her chest, yet she still lived. His expressionless face seemed to stare down the heart in his hands until it erupted in flames. No matter how much she screamed, no matter how much she bled, she could not die.

The faceless figure tossed the burning heart onto the table with Rhazii, igniting the oil and setting him ablaze. His screams filled the air, inflicting upon Ahnasha a pain far greater than anything she could physically feel.

"You are a failure!" The figure shouted as he brought down his knife on her tail and severed it from her body. He then stabbed the knife into her chest, then grabbed the severed tail in both hands and wrapped it around her neck. He pulled it tightly enough to choke her and held her down long enough for the lack of air to do what his blade could not.

Ahnasha shot up from her bedroll, gasping for breath. Although it wasn't every day, most of her nights had been punctuated by these terrors. It had only been just over a week since they left the xanmeer, but it was clear the experiences she had suffered through were not going to abandon her any time soon. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her head in her hands as she started to sob, not caring who she awoke in the process. No matter how much she wanted to, she could not longer pretend that everything was fine.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Should I do a timeskip now? Not to thorn, but to a place in the middle.

Star Wars - Shadow of Rebellion

For two days after the Rebel attack, Xan, for the most part, did nothing of value. Quite understandably, the attack delayed his meeting with the governor, as she now had quite a bit more to deal with than when she initially requested his presence. His docking fees were being paid for him for as long as he was on there on official Imperial business, however, so he was not going to complain. Instead, he simply used his freetime to figure out what Greymass had to offer...which was not much, admitedly. There were a few cantinas which he visited to get a feel for the locals, but Belona was by and large a mining planet and therefore was not all that interesting, at least on the surface.

As far as setllements went, Greymass was not the least tolerable place Xan had ever been. His heated vest allowed him to tolerate the cold, and given the sheer number of Imperial soldiers patrolling the streets, the city's criminals had to stay out of public view. Of course, the stormtroopers were the party that was more likely to give him trouble than the criminals, given that he was a non-human openly carrying a blaster at his side in the street. The first time he left his ship's docking bay, he was stopped repeatedly by Imperial soldiers. Regardless, it did not seem to bother Xan all too greatly. In fact, he always seemed to have a satisfied grin on his face whenever he was able to wave the governor's seal in their faces. Being that Tiss'shar were not exactly common on Belona, it was not long before the soldiers in the area stopped harassing him.

On the second day, Xan ended up in one of the cantinas. He had a few drinks and chatted with a few locals, but since it was clear that it was going to be a while before the governor could get to him, he decided that he could do something else in the meantime. As with most cantinas, there was a bounty board from which he could find a job for himself. It did not seem that there were too many at the moment, but a few of the ones he saw were certainly interesting.

"Hmm, this one pays nothing....I wouldn't mind taking out this guy...and this one...well, that's certainly a decent reward." Xan mumbled as he reached the bounty for the Rodian, Jakolir Enwoori. "One hundred thousand credits to take him alive? More for accomplices? And that is an impressive list of crimes. I think he is someone I'd like to know a bit more about." He said to himself, saving the details of the bounty to his datapad. From the information given on the bounty, the Ice Caps cantina, which was not far away, would be a good place to begin. Obviously, if he was aware that he was being hunted, he would not stay in any of the places listed, but the patrons of the cantina might not be so willing to keep his secrets, especially given the right motivation.

Star Wars - Shadow of Rebellion

I might as well post Xan starting on his first bounty. Where exactly would the bounty boards be, Sep?