Even if she wasn't in a playful mood, Ahnasha couldn't exactly bring herself to ignore Fendros' challenge. She ran after him as soon as she realized it was going to be a race, but he still had a bit of a head start on her. Unfortunately, the particular type of race he challenged her to was not one she had an advantage in. While she was the fastest among them on land, she had no particular advantage in the water, even without counting Meesei or Kaleeth. She was indeed a strong swimmer, but she could only move about as fast as Fendros, and since he had a head start, it meant she could not overtake him.
As much as she tried, Ahnasha could only stay just behind Fendros in their swim across the river. As a result, it was he who reached the other side and touched the tree first while she was still climbing out of the water. At the very least, the water was refreshing compared to the air around them, so she did feel cool for a change. "Don't even start. You...had an advantage." She began defensively, leaning up against the tree to catch her breath. "Now, if you want to challenge me to a race through the trees, you might not have it so easy."
"There may be." Meesei answered. Since there were no more samples around that she could see which she had not already taken, Meesei waded back over to shore and gave a quick shock across her body to rid herself of any parasites. There were still more plants that might be growing outside the water, so she continued to look around. "The pack at Bruma, and others like it, are actually a fair amount larger than our own, but their size can vary greatly, even within a single year. Sometimes, there might only be fifteen or so individuals in their pack, but other times, there could be dozens of werewolves, or even other lycans in their pack. When I encountered a similar pack in Black Marsh not long after I became a lycan, they told me that, at one point, they had just over a hundred members at the same time. You see, the purpose of these packs is to find new lycans and bring them into their own packs. As a result, they are always finding new people and training them, then sending them off to be in their own territories once they are strong enough. Depending on how many members this pack has when we visit, there could be a lot of people your age." She explained.
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Rareth fired her pistol downrange alone with the others, but her strength was not at long range. If she wanted to have any sort of effectiveness in this fight, she would need to move up. On the left flank, Shuo and Shiva had successfully managed to suppress the enemy, so Rareth gave the signal to advance, taking the lead. She fired most of the magazine of her pistol as she ran, melting a notable portion of their enemy's cover in the process. After only a few seconds in the open, she managed to make it to the next container. As the others were getting into cover, however, she noticed movement on the right. It was the group that the enemy officers had sent to flank them, and all of them had their weapons leveled on her. Her barriers were hit twice before she teleported, the second shot being from a Rothian fusion weapon, which was enough to down them completely. Her shields were formed from her magic, instead of a shield generator. Hers in particular were weaker than most standard shields, but, depending on how fatigued she was, charged much more quickly.
Unfortunately, for the rebels, Rareth did not retreat with her teleport. Instead, she ended up directly behind them. Her blade sliced clean through the one in the back before he could turn around. The second started to turn, but Rareth was able to use the momentum from her previous swing to lead into the second. The Masulu woman made an effort to protect her head with her rifle, but Rareth's blade burned clean through both. The final member of the group, the Rothian, nearly had his weapon aimed at her, so Rareth quickly hit him with a burst of telekinetic energy that stumbled him back a few paces...straight in to the rest of her team's line of fire.
Unfortunately, for the rebels, Rareth did not retreat with her teleport. Instead, she ended up directly behind them. Her blade sliced clean through the one in the back before he could turn around. The second started to turn, but Rareth was able to use the momentum from her previous swing to lead into the second. The Masulu woman made an effort to protect her head with her rifle, but Rareth's blade burned clean through both. The final member of the group, the Rothian, nearly had his weapon aimed at her, so Rareth quickly hit him with a burst of telekinetic energy that stumbled him back a few paces...straight in to the rest of her team's line of fire.
I'm writing a post right now, actually.
I think it would be more of a friendly competition thing for him, but he wouldn't mind splitting the reward if your character pulled his weight.
Frontliner said
Sorry I've been inactive lately. I should have a post up in a few days, I've just been held back by circumstances this past week.
Are you going to have your character go after one of the bounties? If he goes after the Rodian, our characters may meet up.
"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.
"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.
It's about time for me to go to bed. Goodnight.
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.
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.
"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."
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."
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."
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."
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