EliteCommander

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

After the first few minutes of flight, Tarentek was not too aware of his surroundings, as he was going through considerable effort not to be. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about where he was, though the sandstorm made that difficult. He had been through them before, but never had he heard one beneath him. It seemed unnatural, and unnerving. So concentrated was he on distracting himself that it took him a few moments to notice he had been dropped, which was fortunate, as it did not give him much opportunity to be afraid. When he opened his eyes, he could see the sandstorm around him, but nothing else. The wind was overwhelming, and he could not tell if he was falling, or how fast. An instant later, he was snatched back up above the storm.

Tarentek did not say anything in the aftermath of the ordeal, instead just focusing on calming his rapidly beating heart as he waited for them to touch down. She explained something about her people's beliefs relating to their flight, but he was more apt to attribute his slowed fall to the wind. Mysticism was not popular with his people in Amman; a result of their technology-centric approach to shaping their city. Their gods were gods of reason and knowledge.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Close. 'Favored-of-the-Gods.' Our language is the same, but...different. It has always confused me how cities that have never contacted one another could have such similar languages, but...that is not important right now." Tarentek commented, also making sure to remember the pronunciation on her name.

Moving on from introductions, Onyx had obviously dried out enough to take flight, so Tarentek assumed they were about to pick up their pace quite considerably. He had not actually thought about the idea of flying yet, but now he certainly was. He had not wanted to fly since his youth, when he would watch birds flying over the city, but now that he had the opportunity, he was not sure he wanted it. "I suppose we should get moving, but...try to fly low. I am not light."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Hmph, if you want your leader to actually listen to me, then that would not be wise. You might consider my name instead, Tarentek." He answered. The woman was being about as immature as he had come to expect from her...although, to be fair, pushing her into the lake was not the most well-reasoned action. His current condition made him too susceptible to his own emotions.

"Remember, this is the fate of your people at stake. If you do not want firsthand information about the tactics and capabilities of your enemy, then we can part ways now. But you've seen my scars, you know that no normal weapon could have made them. The importance of this goes beyond some prank at a lake. Everything and everyone you know could be destroyed within the next few weeks; that is the gravity of the situation. Remember that when we get to your leader." He said, his expression strikingly grim.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

The woman's reaction to the water seemed well-worth the effort. From appearances, it looked like she was not terribly fond of the water, something he would need to keep in mind. Tarentek gave another chuckle, following the woman as she walked past. "I believe that was fair. You did do the very same thing to me, did you not?" He commented rhetorically.

After a minute or so, Tarentek's expression became serious once more. As entertaining as it was to watch her flail about in the water, they did have important matters to attend to. "At any rate, there are some questions I should ask you first anyway. Remember, I know nothing about your people, and if they do not react to the warning I bring, then it could mean the end of them. I need to know what to, and to not say when I meet your leader. Something that is normal in my city might be offensive in yours, so do not assume I will know anything."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Given her track record so far, Tarentek was somewhat nervous when she wrapped her wings around him, but it seemed to be just some strange custom. Perhaps he could ask her to share more of their customs with him on the way, so that he could avoid offending their leader. In any case, it seemed this was the best offer he was going to get. It was a risk, but he needed to spread the word about the attack, and he still did not have enough supplies to get to a city on his own.

Tarentek sighed. "Fine, fine, I suppose it is the best option we have. Having fought them myself, I can give important details about our enemy to your leaders. I just hope it will be enough."

As he approached the woman to allow her to pick him up, another thought entered his mind. The rational part of his mind said it was a bad idea, but he was still not completely in his right mind. "Wait, there's one more thing..." He began before suddenly, and without warning, shoving her into the water, just as she had to him. Their situation was indeed serious, but they still had time, and he needed that well-deserved retribution. After a few moments of brief laughter, he closed his eyes and let out a deep, satisfied breath. "Okay, I am ready."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Hmm, you must have strong wings. Are you sure you can carry me, waterlogged as I am?" Tarentek asked before his thoughts went onto a different matter. If her people were really as proud and isolated as she described, he could not imagine he would receive a warm welcome if discovered. He did not like the idea of heading straight into the center of their "nest," as she called it.

"Also, I do not know how comfortable I am being dropped straight into the center of your nest. It seems like that would place me in great danger. Perhaps...do you think it would be possible to persuade him to speak to me just outside of the city? If so, I would not be in immediate peril, and I could still get my message to your people." He asked. He did not think it was likely that she would say yes, but he could at least ask.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek did not precisely know if he was the only survivor of the attack, as he had been forced out of the city during the fight, too weak to help no matter his own desires. There was no questioning that their enemy had won, as it was already a losing fight when he escaped, but he could not say how many others were able to retreat. Still, even if a few managed to get away, it was unlikely he would ever see them again, so in essence, he was alone. There were other settlements that were partially or completely comprised of members of his species, but they were entirely separate from Amman, and not always allies. They were not his people.

The woman's answer was starting to make Tarentek wonder if saving them was even worth the effort, but he pushed back those thoughts for the moment. The fate of her people was at stake, and he had the means to help her, as long as they would accept it. "You are truly living up to your reputation as reclusive. That...stubbornness will be your people's end if you can do nothing about it. I owe you, and I want to help you, but I cannot perform miracles. Is there nothing you can do to get your people to listen?"

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

While the woman was speechless, Tarentek took the time to get out of the water and retrieve his rifle. He was still quite agitated, but just as before, he restrained himself from lashing out against the one who saved him. Both himself and his robes were now soaked, much to his discomfort, but at the very least, he seemed to have driven in his point well-enough.

Tarentek shook his head. "At first? Definitely, but not anymore. Removing the small bits of metal was the most painful part, but like I said, this was a glancing blow from that weapon compared to its potential. My race has heightened healing capabilities compared to most that I am aware of. Granted, with as little food as I have had since the attack, the healing has slowed, but with enough time, the scars will disappear entirely. My friend who escaped with me was not so fortunate. He was not caught in that terrible weapon, but..." He began, approaching close enough to show her the hole in his robe near his heart. "A bullet cut through his heart. I do not believe it was a direct hit, as he held on for a few hours, but...it was not enough. He, and almost every warrior in Amman, shared the same fate. This...force, I do not know their name, but they call themselves an Empire. They come from the east, moving from settlement to settlement. From what I know, they sent a messenger to us, demanding we surrender ourselves to their authority and join their Empire. We refused and...we could not have known their power. The rumors I heard say they do the same to every city. When it is time, they will come to your people and make the same demand. If they refuse, then history will repeat itself. No city can face them alone, and in truth, I do not even know if there is time to warn enough settlements, but...I have no more purpose with my life other than to fight them."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

As the woman started to fly up into the air, Tarentek let out an audible sigh. He rubbed his free hand across his face and shook his head. Part of him wanted to give up and move on, but it would not be right for others to suffer for her stubbornness. Besides, he still had little in the way of supplies and could use help if she was willing to give it.

While he was thinking, Tarentek was not exactly paying attention to where the woman was flying, so he managed to knock away his rifle, then pushed him into the water. Why she did this was entirely unknown to him, but he was starting to become frustrated. She had saved his life, so he withheld retaliation, but his opinion of her was not quite as high as it was before. At the very least, she had knocked away his rifle beforehand, so it was spared from the salt water.

Tarentek leaned up just out of the water, which was not deep along the shore. He started to rub his head, giving her a slight scowl. "I feel like I am trying to save a child." He muttered, mostly to himself. "You believe I am lying to you? Or that I overestimate the enemy? I know what they did to me, and I will show you." He said, pulling back his robe to reveal an alarming assortment of scars across the right side of his body. There were countless cuts and burns on the right side of his torso, and even down half of his leg, enough to make one wonder how he was in as good of a condition as he seemed to be. The scars had been given some time to heal, so they were not quite as prominent as when they had formed, but they were still very obvious. Given his species' enhanced healing capabilities, they would disappear entirely over time, but for now, the illustrated what he had experienced.

"This...was a glancing blow, from a weapon the likes of which I have never seen before. It was small, enough to fit in the palm of your hand. I did not know what it was when it rolled into our group. After a few moments, there was a blinding flash and a deafening sound, then I was knocked on my back, bleeding and in pain. I was far enough away to survive, but my friends...it was capable of ripping the flesh from their bones. They had plenty of these things, which could destroy buildings and flesh alike. Imagine what these things could do to your people? Just throw them in the air; they do not even have to be precise. They would rip you to pieces. If you want to ignore my warning, then go ahead, fly home. Wait for them to come. If you want the help of one who has seen their capabilities, however, you will need me." Tarentek warned.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek started shaking his head lightly. He did not know if her stubbornness was usual for her race, or if she was something unique, but she was dead wrong. He just hoped he could get her to see. "You speak without knowledge; you have not seen what I have seen. This army is legion in number, by all accounts. I heard the rumors from the east before it happened, but I did not believe it either. Not until it was too late. Our walls were too strong, we were too well armed; those were the lies we told ourselves. I do not know where this force comes from, or who leads it, but their army has mastered the humans' machines in ways we never thought possible. Like us, they use the humans' weapons, but...they have more than that. They have armor like strange, thick clothing that can stop a bullet from our weapons, something the best metal armor we have cannot do. More frighteningly is the other machines they've mastered. You know the long stretches of roads in and between the Human cities? You know the old metal machines you can often find decaying on the roads? My people have tried to learn about them, but they are magnitudes more complicated than the weapons you and I carry. Somehow, they have learned to repair them. They can move around at speeds far faster than you can fly. They put metal on them for armor, and put large firearms on them that can shoot through anything and everything. That is just the beginning of what I saw them do, and who knows what they can do beyond that? Believe me when I say that to face them unprepared is suicide. Your flight will not save you, unless you are running away."

Tarentek did his best to reach into his memory to convey the gravity of the situation. This enemy was capable almost beyond belief and had mastered technology he thought would be forever lost. It was impressive and frightening in equal measure. He knew little of the woman's race, the Elissics. He had heard the name once or twice in passing, mostly from traders from the west, but all he had heard about them were that they were reclusive. From his impression of this woman, that description was accurate.