EliteCommander

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

As the creatures reached them, the pieces of this ambush fell into place. Now with the beasts to demand their focus, the other hostiles had re-emerged from the treeline and resumed their barrage of arrows. The creatures forced them to break formation and spread out, which meant they could not take advantage of a shield wall to protect themselves from the volleys. For the creatures themselves, neither blades nor arrows could pierce their hides, so they were not under threat from being in the midst of the friendly barrage.

Kareet’s prior experience with these creatures meant she knew her own magic would be of limited use against them. They required a coordinated effort of alternating cold and heat in order to weaken their hide. If different mages were hitting it with both at once, it would be counterproductive. Kareet’s contribution to that effort could be minor at best, so she looked elsewhere for her most optimal contribution. Raising one hand to the sky, she traced a few lines in the air with her fingers as she gave her focus to creating a repelling magnetic curtain above them. Metal arrowheads would be repelled, either deflecting or at least sending them tumbling in the air. It would provide strong protection from the barrage to anyone underneath, though she could not cover a wide enough area to protect all of her allies. Being that it was a priority to get the Humans to Arcaeda safely, Kareet positioned herself to guard them from the barrage. Any others were expendable.

Per Nellara’s orders, the soldiers spread out just before the creatures reached the frontline, and it was not a moment too soon. When they charged straight into the spears, not a one got through their hides. By evading, at least, it was only two of Nellara’s soldiers who found themselves overrun and crushed under their mass. It would take a few cycles of attack through heat and cold to weaken their defenses, which made it all the more surprising when one of the beasts fell dead.

The creatures were had simply charged straight at their prey with seemingly no concern for self-preservation. Any of the weapons or magic thrown at them did not pierce their hide…with one exception. Though it was hard to tell from a distance, the shots fired from many of the Human weapons did indeed punch through, and they were hard targets to miss. Even still, the sheer size of their bodies allowed them to shrug off shot after shot with no immediate effect, until something important was struck. It was near the end of Zey’s magazine that one of her shots managed to break through its skull.

Of course, the other creature was still very much alive and rampaging through their lines, surrounded by friendlies. Its focus seemed to go straight to the strongest source of magic in front of it, which, at the moment, was Nellara herself.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

As soon as they had reached the shore, Kareet extended a hand towards her pack over in the corner of the boat. Since she knew just where she kept her hammer, she could form a magnetic link to it, then pulled it out of its pouch, through the air, and into her hand. Placing two fingers near the base of the haft, she ran them up towards the hammer head at a constant speed, building up electric charge the entire time. By the end, the weapon was wreathed in lightning and still bound to her by the link she had made.

Against any other creature, Nellara’s orders would have been the right call. Few animals would willingly charge in to be skewered by a wall of spears and blades. However, from her experience with the creature before, that was not going to work here. Their weapons were not going to pierce its hide, and it had the sheer power behind it that grouping tightly would only make it easier for it to crush more of them at once.

“No, spread out!” Kareet shouted, looking over to Nellara. “Tough hide, magic resistant. Alternate heat and cold to weaken it.” She spoke quickly and efficiently, as the beasts were mere moments from reaching them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha did not expect everything about Rossarm to change, but that one day had done much to her own perspective. There was a lot to hate about the ways he had acted in the past, about how he had treated Fendros, but on that day, it had been them against the armies of Oblivion, and Rossarm had stepped into that willingly. When it came down to it, he was someone who would stand up and act in the face of even an overwhelming threat. He did not make excuses, regardless of how he felt, and that was a quality Ahnasha could respect.

“It won’t be long before everyone moves on, back to their homes. We thought it would be nice to give everyone a chance to get together, without the threat of Vile looming over us.” Ahnasha added, giving a quick glance over to Fendros beside her. There was much she could say, wanted to say, points she could make, but in the end, little of this was about her. If, even after everything, Rossarm rejected them, she would move on with hardly a second thought. This resolution, whatever it ended up being, was about Fendros. Whether he reconciled with his past, or buried it, Ahnasha would be right here to support him through every moment. However it went, though, there was little doubt in her mind that he had the strength to handle it.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Kareet had only a limited view of what was going on around her. The assistance of Nellara’s Force mages made it possible to bring the barge to shore, but it still took every bit of effort she could muster to do her part. The soldiers arranged into some sort of formation as quickly as possible. The first volley of arrows came down before they could fully position themselves, but there were two that managed to get themselves in front of Kareet, using their shields, armor, and own bodies to guard her. Likely the same was true for the Force mages keeping them up.

All around her, Kareet heard the impact of arrows. Some against metal, some into the wooden hull, some into flesh. Kareet saw one of them pierce straight through the body of one of the Tekeri soldiers. It was an arrow shot from one of the heavy bows used by the likes of the S’tor which could absolutely pierce even quality chainmail, and in this case, she could see it impale through one of his lungs out the other side. Though, the reactions of the soldiers was professional and practiced. The front line pushed forward to guard those behind them, holding shields high to protect the head. Those in the middle quickly grabbed the injured soldier and pulled them back, then the Life mage got quickly to work. Life mages commonly stayed in the back of most formations and would use their fellow soldiers’ bodies as shields, if need be. Above all, they were trained to protect their own lives, for they were responsible for keeping the rest alive. ‘Treatment’, in this case, did not involve near so much care as the Humans were accustomed to from their field medics. Speed of recovery was the most important factor here, so the Life mage simply grabbed the arrow and yanked it straight out of the body with little concern for how much damage the arrowhead did as she ripped it out. Sheer adrenaline likely halted the pain, and fortunately for him, it would not catch up with him later. A few moments of focus from the Life mage, and the wound closed up before their eyes.

In most circumstances, the barrage would have continued beyond the first few volleys, but there was something to surprise even their ambushers. They were far away and had already ranged their shots beforehand, so they were not expecting effective return fire. However, the Humans and their weapons seemed to be able to aim and shoot at even that long range perfectly well. Instead of arrows or fireballs, it was seemingly invisible projectiles landing all around them. Kareet could hear little beyond the deafening crack of Zey’s weapon, again and again and again. It could shoot so quickly with a sound that echoed throughout the entire valley. Among the assailants on the shore, one of the shots from one of the Humans tore straight through a Glen’s chest, and she dropped to the ground in an instant. There was no arrow, no sign of what struck her, but they could hear the sounds of these shots flying all around them. Startled and frightened, two of them grabbed their wounded ally while they all retreated back behind the treeline.

The barrage of arrows might have halted until the barge made it to shore, but that did not mark the end of the ambush. A horn sounded out, and from the trees came charging two massive creatures on all-fours, as fast as their bodies could carry them. To nearly everyone present, they were entirely unrecognizable, but to Kareet and J’eon, they were frighteningly familiar.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

In this case, Ahnasha found it easier to stay calm for this particular meeting, which perhaps was not surprising. There was a lot more weight on this conversation for Fendros than for her. In a way, she felt it was encouraging that Rossarm opened the door at all. Part of her had been preparing for the possibility of him sending Fendros away through the door. Still, once the door opened, all that filled the air was a silence that carried the kind of tension that could be cut with a knife. Though, Ahnasha did not let it persist for too long. While the two of them stared at one another, she was in a position to break the ice.

“Good morning, Rossarm. Do you mind if we come in for a few minutes?” Ahnasha asked, simple and polite, but direct. Even after all that had happened between them, she was not showing a hint of trepidation.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It's funny, I was just thinking about this a few hours ago. I should be able to reply tomorrow.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

Nellara’s assistance lightened the load for Kareet, and once a Force mage among her soldiers joined in as well, it was enough to start moving even a heavy barge towards the shore. Force magic was far more well-suited for this task, as the force could be applied evenly across the hull. Already, Kareet’s efforts had splintered the hull in multiple places.

The barge was floating just above the blackened water towards the nearest riverbank. With the near complete stillness all around them, the movement just ahead from just beyond the treeline stood out all the more easily. Several people, about seven or eight from what Kareet could see at a glance, though there could be more obscured by the foliage. It was a mix of Tekeri, Glen, and S'tor, with no standard uniform or markings that could identify them. They did not look equipped for war; in fact, they looked more like hunters than anything else. Except, they immediately took aim with their bows firmly on the barge. They were far enough away that Kareet could not hit them with any sort of lightning bolt she could charge quickly enough; not that she could afford to do anything except prevent their vessel from falling back into the river, regardless. Their attackers had already ranged their shots, so when they loosed their first volley, most of the arrows came straight for the barge.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

However long the silence had been going on, Kareet did not have time to discern its nature before the situation changed. Kareet had stood up and was pacing down the middle of the barge, her eyes darting around across the surrounding forest looking for anything out of the ordinary. However, it was not the forest which changed.

The shift was sudden and drastic. All around the barge, the water seemed to shift into a substance as black as tar, and about as viscous. For the Humans, if they were capable of recognizing such things, they would see the same looks of startled surprise on most of the soldiers, and even Kareet herself. Across all of her education and experience, this was like nothing she had ever seen or heard of before.

There was not much time to stand around in awe. The barge had come almost to a halt as the paddlewheel struggled to push through. More alarming, though, was when a hole formed in the bottom of the boat. This liquid, whatever it was, corroded a hole straight through the wooden hull just under a Tekeri soldier near Kareet. The substance enveloped the foot of the soldier, who fell onto his back as soon as he tried to back away. Despite having practically dissolved a hole in the hull, the substance did not actually cause any visible harm to the Tekeri. Rather, half of his leg was entirely paralyzed.

This was something wholly, completely new and unexpected to Kareet, but it was no time for wonder and curiosity. In emergencies, survival was favored for those who could be decisive. Kareet pushed both hands downwards, open-palmed, extended them outwards, then clenched them into fists. Body and mind focused as hard as she ever had before, she let out a scream as her hands lifted up slowly, as if fighting against some unseen force. The magnetic field she had generated enveloped the whole of the barge, though of course, it could not touch the vessel’s wooden hull. However, every nail, rivet, steel reinforcement, and the paddlewheel mechanism itself was perfectly vulnerable to its influence. Not to mention, as she had not focused her magic to any specific object, every single magnetic object on the barge would be pulled upwards and float in the air around them unless held down by something.

The barge’s hull quickly began to crack and splinter from the uneven application of force that was starting to lift it out of the water. Raising it by influencing a scattered mass of metal objects was far from ideal, and Kareet was already struggling, but they needed to get the barge to the riverbank. “LIFT!” Kareet shouted desperately.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet tilted her head as she looked over at Zey. “Like…heights?” She questioned. She had heard the laughs from the Humans, and by this point and could guess that there had been a joke, even if she did not understand it. “Sorry, I don’t think the question, or…expression translated well.”

---

Now that they were on the river, there were only a few days ahead of them on their journey. It would not take long after leaving Ertiseda for Kareet’s comments about the river to be seen in practice, as it was a busy waterway, all things considered. This river in particular connected the Ascendency to Lake Núr, which could connect to over half of the nations on the continent. It was the less popular of the two rivers which connected to the Lake, but it did provide a shorter path to Kerak Núr and most of the major cities in Avko. Riverboats carrying goods, or soldiers on patrol, were a common sight, though it did not truly start feeling crowded until they reached Lenkik. The city sat at the convergence of two rivers, and three major trade routes. Not to mention, commoners of Lenkik who made their living on the water added to the traffic on the river. Especially considering the small fishing boats, there could have been hundreds of boats on the water at once. No doubt, the Humans in plain view on their boat caught the eyes of many as they passed by, but it still felt like they were almost lost in the crowd as they moved past the city. The last leg of their journey, between Lenkik and Arcaeda, was on an even busier stretch of the river than the first. While not so densely packed as the area immediately surrounding Lenkik, it was rare for there not to be another vessel in view.

---

Kareet sat back on one of the seats near the rear of the barge, looking up at the bright blue sky above. It was close to midday, when she would normally be fast asleep. The Humans seemed to prefer to be active during the day, so ever since making contact with them, she had adjusted her schedule to match. Tekeri in some professions and places had adapted to sleeping almost entirely at night, but she still felt strange being surrounded constantly by such bright light. It was unnatural, and a bit unsettling. Nellara and her soldiers did not seem to be as visibly bothered as Kareet had been. They were professionals who were accustomed to rough conditions, she supposed. Granted, she was no stranger to such conditions, but she also tended to have control over her own schedule.

After a while, Kareet was snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed some of the soldiers were starting to become uncomfortable for entirely different reasons. It took a while for her to figure out what was unsettling them, as no matter where she looked, she could see nothing that stood out around them. Eventually, she realized it was the “nothing” that was the problem. There was not another boat in sight, and for this stretch of river, that was rare. Not impossible, of course, especially for just a short time, but she had not been paying attention to how long this had been going on. Not to mention it was…quiet. The usual constant chirping of birds from the forests around the river during the day was conspicuously absent. For that, she had no explanation.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

Kareet of Arcaeda

---

There seemed to be a few moments, after Vigdis mentioned it, where Kareet was genuinely considering whether or not steel ships would actually solve the problems they faced. Regardless, the very fact that Vigdis was asking the questions she was implied a world quite different from Kanth-Aremek. A planet all to themselves without creatures that could truly challenge them: it seemed like it would make for an easier existence, but she wondered if the lack of challenges would end up holding them back. Or perhaps, in absence of other substantial threats, the Humans had become that threat for one another, like the S’tor.

“As I mentioned, the other side of the continent has been explored, and mapped to an extent, but those are individuals or relatively small teams. Establishing a connection to that land, at scale, is impractical. Just as many expeditions have failed to return as have succeeded. If not more.” Kareet explained. Some of Vigdis’ word choice had caught her attention. She said that Humans had once “believed in” sea monsters, and even magic. Did she believe that the creatures Kareet described were merely myth? Obviously, she did not believe magic to be a myth, considering she had seen in performed right in front of her.

“I can say for sure that people have sailed into the deep seas before, intentionally or unintentionally, but very few return. Most large vessels fall prey to leviathans.” The word, as she spoke it, had a direct translation from S’toric, as it seemed, but the way she spoke appeared to be about a specific type of creature. “They are fiercely territorial creatures, and they seem to act as if ships are their prey or, more likely, competition. I have wondered before what might be beyond the seas. Experiments have calculated how large our world must be. It is hard to imagine that there is only a vast expanse of ocean out there. Perhaps we will find a way to explore it one day. Perhaps you will help us?” She suggested. “One of my colleagues theorized that we might use Thought magic to repel leviathans from an expedition. It is a difficult theory to test, though, considering it requires both getting approval for the assistance of a Thought mage, and finding a leviathan to test it on. And if it fails, they die.”