EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

I posted in the IC.

Also for everyone involved in the Caravan Escort mission, me and Elite have thought of a plan to hopefully advance that plot and make things enjoyable. If possible I'd like it if we could all at some point get on mibbit to talk about this, but if that doesn't work we can use a PM.

@Ryonara

Yes, right, the plan...I have definitely not forgotten anything about that.

In any case, we can talk about it in PM, though I do have some questions to ask next time you're in mibbit.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek listened in as he waited for Onyx to introduce him. From the way the man, who Tarentek assumed to be the leader, spoke, he gathered that Onyx was more closely related to him than she had previously implied. He assumed, or at least hoped, that their relation would be helpful in persuading the leader to listen to him.

Once Tarentek heard his name, he stepped out as non-threateningly as possible, following every social rule she had told him of. In order to limit any snap judgements that the leader, Raldel, might make, he spoke up immediately to get straight to business. "I understand that speaking to outsiders is unusual and exceptional, so I will get straight to my purpose here. Your people are in danger. There is an army, an empire, advancing from the east. The city of Amman has fallen, as have countless others to the east if the rumors hold true. I was there to witness their attack; their power is greater than any civilization previously known to us...by a large margin. They have a command over Human technologies the likes of which I would not have thought possible. The advantage it gives them is...severe. Your people's flight has given you an advantage over the others in our region, but you have to believe me when I say that it will not matter with them."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek waited patiently on the ledge. As long as he did not move, he did not have to worry about falling, and he would be less likely to be discovered. His robe could blend in rather well with the rocks, so at a distance, it would be quite difficult to detect him. While he waited, he had time to think about how he was going to word his warning. From his impression of Onyx, he got the sense that her race was prideful and isolationist. However, he had a feeling their leader might be more agreeable. Generally, it made sense to give the common person a strong since of pride and confidence in the group, but leaders tended to be at least a bit more realistic. They were responsible for their people's safety, so not only did they have to know what their people were capable of, but also be aware of and acknowledge their weaknesses. As such, their leader might be receptive to his warning.

Once Onyx finally returned, Tarentek stood up and walked over to her so she could pick him up once more. "I suppose so. I've had plenty of time to think about what to say. Let's just be quick; I would like to avoid the rest of your kin until your leader can protect me."

The Depths of Deception

Rareth was not sure if she should add the Conquest to her list of potential vacation destinations. On the one hand, willingly traveling into Sovereignty space was something she tended to avoid. Even if they were at peace, she was not fond of several of the Sovereignty's laws, or the way they were enforced. Each time she went to one of their planets, she found herself more stressed than anything. On the other hand, what Shuo described sounded entirely too interesting to simply ignore.

---

The group continued to talk and drink for some time; exactly how much time had passed Rareth did not know. The only thing she was certain of was that she had been drinking the entire time. Rareth was definitely drunk, not so much that she could not control herself, but enough that it was plainly obvious. She assumed the others were as well, though she had not been paying close attention to how much the others had been drinking.

"I wish...I could make it warm in here. The air is so cool. I almost need clothes; the kind we use to stay warm on cold planets. They heat themselves." Rareth commented. Her tone was not quite annoyed, rather, it seemed like she just wanted something to talk about. Slowly, she turned her head to Shiva and Shuo curiously. "What does it feel like for you to be warm anyway? Though...I guess if cold is normal for you, then warm must be really hot."

The Depths of Deception

I think I will do a bit of a timeskip to get things moving.

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."