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Post by kajeayn on Jan 13, 2020 20:42:19 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 492 | post: 16 He followed in perfect silence, placing his hooves down exactly where Whirlwind placed his, covering their numbers and trusting in the screamer’s ability to pick the safest, quietest path. He snatched rocks that skittered in his teke, silencing them after only a brief sound, placing a few in his bags as they traveled down the rock face. He breathed slowly and evenly. He had long lost the ability to get nervous, though a phantom feeling of it skittered down his spine, one ear remaining trained on Whirlwind as the other scanned for any sounds from the camp. He had little concern for his own hide. They’d never take him alive, he’d made his peace with that, but he couldn’t condem Whirlwind to a similar fate. The largest emotion that burned in his gut was anger. It was always there, sometimes banked and warm like embers, but seeing Aodhians snug and content in their camps fanned the flames. He held little hate for anyone. He held little emotion for anyone, period. But as far as he was concerned, every last Aodhian could burn, and he hoped they’d enjoy becoming the ash they so loved to smear on themselves. He could taste it on his tongue, always lingering with him, following him since he had walked through the wreckage of Osulas. His lip curled, smoke between his teeth. His shoulder ached. He stepped down into the canyon, shooting Whirlwind a glance and a nod. He could trust him not to be stupid, at least he had that comfort, and he stifled down his worry. It was time to get started. He crept through the shadows, staying low and moving quickly, having memorized the layout of the camp from above. He knew where the nearest guard was, and there was enough distance that unless the guard called out, the others would hear nothing. There were only a few on duty, spread a little too thin, gazing boredly out into the dark. He knew better than to underestimate them, however. He’d only done that once. It left little room for mercy. A rock clattered on the cliff wall, softly tossed in silver teke, and the guard turned his head, ears pricked as he took a step forward, eyes alert and scanning the wall, oblivious to the shadow slipping closer behind him. The unicorn jerked once, surprised more than anything, Mazuku’s knife buried under his jaw. He twitched, dead weight in Mazuku’s teke as he dragged the guard back behind a pile of crates, rooting through his bags. He took the rations the bay guard had, pocketing them and debating about his sword before discarding it. It wouldn’t feed anyone, and the flash of metal might draw attention. He moved on, circling the camp and hoping Whirlwind was doing all right, eyes sharp as he stared into the dark, listening to the soft sounds of sleeping Aodhians, making his way quietly on to the next unfortunate guard. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 13, 2020 22:01:07 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 496 | Post: 16Shrouded by the gentle silence of the Seroran night, Whirlwind slid through the camp, blissfully unaware of the death that awaited each Aodhian at the blade of the dark Vagabond he'd left behind. He had half expected that he intended to knock them out, and leave them. However, he should have guessed that mercy would not be the answer that any of those sleeping in this camp should receive from their intruders. His feet made no sound, as light and as quiet as he was. While sneaking around was not a skill set that he knew he had, he was finding his way about quickly and without a single noise. He trusted Mazuku to do his job and keep them safe. He trusted himself to remain stealthy and avoid alerting the remaining guards or waking any resting Aodhians with his presence. They needed supplies, and so that would be what he would get.
He drew his blade as he slid down into the craters that the supplies were hidden within. Drawing the cloth back away from the boxes, he cracked open the crates with his blade, glancing up to peek over his shoulder to ensure he'd not been spotted. He couldn't see Mazuku in the night, not even a flash of his bright red scarf. Within, he reached down inside, illuminating each bottle of medicine that he found with a pale blue teke. He didn't take them all, as he had not the space for it, but he took a few that may be of use, and then moved on to the next. More medicine. He'd have to move to a different crater to find food and water.
He slid across the camp, whisking behind tents with his body low like a cat. He skidded down the next slope a bit too hastily, hardly well enough practiced in such a task to recognize the noise that it made. He was more careful as he cracked open the next crate, this time finding food and water. Anything useful, he stuffed into his saddlebags. Before long, they were full, and he was just about ready to get out of here. He wasn't going to head into any camps unless absolutely necessary.
A part of him, the more Seroran part of him, felt guilty in his act. It was quickly squashed and pushed aside as he recalled those in the caravan he guided, and their weakness, their sickness, their hunger and thirst in the wake of such devastation brought upon them by these monsters.
It is the lesser evil. He thought. I am making the right decision, the just decision, taking the righteous actions against these people.
It was reassuring, and it steeled his heart with this conviction. It was what they deserved, and he was just bringing all too slow moving karma right to their very own cozy, comfortable little camp.
And to think, we are right under their noses, and they don't suspect a thing... the fools. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 9:20:46 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 544 | post: 17 Another guard fell. He pocketed everything they had, including their earrings, figuring they were light enough to try to pawn off somewhere and no real loss if he couldn’t. Two down, and only one more to go. He slipped into a crater, prying open a box and stuffing his bags full of rations. The faster they filled their bags, the faster he could get started burning the damn place down. He uncorked a flask of oil, quietly pouring it over the wooden crates. There had been no rain in months, everything here would go up in seconds, but he couldn’t take the risk. He closed it and crept forward, heading towards the next just in time for a tent flap to rustle and a soldier to stumble out, jaw cracking in a yawn. He froze mid step, knowing the soldier merely had to glance his way and it would be all over, his mind whirling as he worked out a plan, eyes darting over the soldier and the camp. He tossed a rock away from himself, towards the shadows and the soldier’s ear twitched but didn’t glance that way, blue teke rubbing her eyes as she shook her neck, checking her weapon at her side, glittering in the flames of the roaring fire only a few feet away. Fuck. Shift change. Earlier than he’d anticipated. He couldn’t risk a bell ring to warn Whirlwind, he’d draw attention to himself so close by, slowly edging back towards the crates, hoping he could hide behind them and escape notice for a few minutes until no doubt she would discover the other guards missing, or worse, their bodies. He barely had taken a step back, not daring to even breathe, when her head turned towards him, blue eyes snapping to his, clearing of drowsiness at once. Shit.
“Hey!”
SHIT. She’d barely drawn her sword before he was upon her, slamming into her to knock her bodily into the tent, sending it crashing down as they fell in a tangle of flailing legs and flashing blades. The noise echoed like a gunshot in the canyon, and he could only hope Whirlwind would bolt away from the sound. Adrenaline roared through his veins like a burst of lightning, fanning out behind his eyes, drowning out the pain of her gods damned Aodhian training as she bit into him with sword and teeth. She slammed his head down against the ground, hard enough that he saw stars, and he knew she had no intention of killing him, the only advantage he had as his teke scrabbled blindly, grabbing a burning piece of tinder from the roaring fire. Her head jerked back with a shriek as he drove it towards her, but he only wanted the distraction for a precious moment, tossing the burning wood away from them both. Her eyes followed it, widening in horror as it landed on the crates. He bit hard into her leg as she cried out, wrenching his head back and unbalancing her, throwing her onto the ground even as the muscles in his neck flared out in agony. He scrambled up onto his feet, dripping blood as he raised his head, flames reflecting in the eyes of several Aodhian soldiers rushing towards him. Shit. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 11:35:17 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 424 | Post: 17The chaos erupted so quickly that Whirlwind could hardly gather himself and comprehend just where things had gone wrong. He thought for a moment, with the racket of it all, that the soldiers there were closing in on him, and that he'd made some sort of fatal error. He'd hardly popped his head up out of the crater and stumbled into the open before his ears tuned in on the crash of blades, and squabble of hooves. His muscles bunched, burning with tension as they coiled up like springs to propel him into motion away from the camp. He anticipated that he'd see an Aodhian rushing through camp towards him, blades drawn, eyes burning with the fire of their god in their souls and out for blood. There was no such thing, but yet the racket remained.
Whirlwind's mind turned over and over again, unable to imagine what could possibly be causing all of that ruckus. That was, until he remembered,
Shit... Mazuku.
He, against all of his instincts, and against what he had been told to do, moved towards the conflict instead of away from it. He'd never forgive himself if he ran. He'd never be able to live with himself if Mazuku fell to to slavery in Eithne, especially if he was able to do something about it here and now. To turn and run would be the act of a coward, and he was no such thing. Did he have something to prove? Not to Mazuku, but to himself, he definitely did. Without putting too much more thought into the matter, he started back the way that the racket was coming from, skidding to a halt at the edge of the camp's center just a few paces off from where Mazuku stood, alone against a wave of soldiers.
"Hey!" He sputtered, drawing his blade at once and brandishing it. He bunched up his muscles behind, preparing himself to leap to his new companion's defense. "Back off of him you bastards!"
He regret his words almost at once, his presence now known, and eyes and heads sweeping towards him. Those that did not shift their full focus to him still startled, and seemed to falter slightly. At least he'd done his job, distracting these beasts from their prey and splitting the pack. He steeled himself, splaying his feet and bracing with his weapon drawn.
"Come on! Come ON!" He spat through his teeth, rage bubbling up in his gut, fueled by his fear and refusal to give them the satisfaction of running. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 12:33:32 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 282 | post: 18 The sound of Whirlwind’s voice cut through the chaos, and Mazuku’s eyes closed briefly, silently but empathetically cursing in his mind, even as a strange feeling lodged in his throat, to be studied later. No one had ever come racing back for him. His eyes snapped open again, and in the brief hesitation where the mare he’d been fighting glanced towards the screamer, he’d already grabbed her own sword in her teke and shoved it up behind her jaw. She fell, gurgling, legs twitching as Mazuku leaped over her prone form towards the surprised Aodhians. He raced towards them, grabbing into the flames as he swept by, dodging swords as he plunged into the small group of soldiers, kicking out and tripping them as he shoved through, blazing log in his teke. He threw it into another pile of crates, flattening out into a mad dash as he weaved back in Whirlwind’s direction, leaping over and around tents he slashed with his knife, the thunder of hooves and angry shouts behind him. His eyes met Whirlwind’s, ears flat against his head as he raced towards the screamer. “You lead,” He bit out, teke flashing out and yanking the leg of a too close for comfort Aodhian, making them yelp as they fell. Their best best was leading the Aodhians into one of the hazards they’d discussed before, and Mazuku could only hope Whirlwind would read that in the meaningful look he shot him. He wanted to split up, it made more sense, but Whirlwind knew the area best and Mazuku wasn’t sure Whirlwind wouldn’t just follow him anyway. The thought was nearly as frustrating as it was somehow, strangely, reassuring.
“Let’s go!” |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 13:13:56 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 344 | Post: 18What he truly believed would turn into a full fight was quick to turn into a full flight. The cargo in the craters lit up like wildfire, spreading through the camp with the flames ripping well above the height of the tents and lighting them up since they were so close. The fabric caught quickly, and the fire spread, illuminating Whirlwind's left side with bright orange, making his coat glitter like flames themselves. It was suddenly unbearably hot so close. Mazuku's commands were clear, and in his jumbled state of mind he could do nothing but obey the orders he was given. He had to trust him to guide them to the right decision, and apparently now he didn't think that fighting was it.
Wheeling around, his hocks burned and muscles ached under the pressure from the sharp turn he took before leaping off. His cloak was tucked tightly around him as he whisked back towards the cliffs across the open ground. His strides were leaping, bounding steps, his feet pounding the dry earth as they whisked towards the mesa they'd climbed down from only a little while before. As he ran, taking in his surroundings for a brief moment, he oriented himself on an invisible map in his head. Yes, he knew very well where he was, drawing himself a path for them to take. They'd lose them in the cliffs for sure.
"We're running??" He hissed over his shoulder to Mazuku. "There weren't that many of them!"
Though, he'd never been in open combat before. He knew how hard one opponent was, but when the person he'd grown up around made combat look so... effortless, his perception of what a challenge beating a whole army of people by oneself could be was skewed. They'd have to pick them off in the cliffs if he was so bent on it. However, with adrenaline rushing in his ears, his heart pounding and drowning out all other noise around him, the only thing he could focus on right now was fleeing up into the rocks. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 14:06:16 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 189 | post: 19 “Do you want to take on a group of trained soldiers?” Mazuku snapped back, hot on his heels, one ear kept pointed towards the Aodhians giving chase not far behind. He was positive they could outlast them, if there was one thing Serorans had it was endurance, all they had to do was lose them in the cliffs, even if only a few at a time. His wing burned, remembering the last time a group of Aodhians got the jump on him. He wouldn’t do it again. “Don’t underestimate them,” He warned, words bit out between puffs of air, legs churning as he ran. He was no Seroran, but he was confident he could outrun an Aodhian, but he couldn’t take them in a fair fight. Especially not with Whirlwind at his back- he didn’t know how he was in a fight, if he’d ever been in one at all, screamers weren’t exactly known for their combat prowess. An arrow whizzed past his ear and he growled, skidding around a turn in the cliff right as another arrow bounced off the rock wall.
“Especially when they’ve got an archer!”
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 14:34:54 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 319 | Post: 19"An archer?? Of course they have a damn archer!" Whirlwind spat, not so much as out of breath yet as he darted up the narrow cliffside. It was barely enough for one horse, and he had to place his feet carefully and with trained precision. He glided up the slope like an antelope, glancing partway over his shoulder as he went to ensure his companion was keeping up. They'd be best to keep out of wide open spaces where it was easier to aim at them, if the aodhians in pursuit had someone that could very well hit and kill them from afar. If they could lose them along the cliffs, then they'd be in good shape.
Up ahead, the canyon opened up, a natural stone bridge leading the way over a wider path that caravans would travel on. There were tire tracks in the dirt, and up above was rocky and difficult terrain; the sort of terrain that Whirl was very much so used to traversing safely on his own when scouting ahead. He was confident in his companion's ability, considering what he'd seen of him thus far. Beyond that, he knew there to be a crevice down into the rocks, through some caves.
There was a leap to get down there, and a ledge that just barely jutted out beyond it. Just above, there was another, and if Whirl tossed some sort of provision across before they leapt down, it'd look like they'd fled and dropped things on the way. It'd be a risk. There was a ravine right below it but it was going to have to do. He didn't know for sure, but there was another opening to the cave on the other side of this mountain. It was a chance they'd have to take.
"You ready?" he called back as they dashed across the open stone bridge. "Things are about to get real exciting!" |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 14:47:07 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 149 | post: 20 Oh, as if they weren’t already exciting? If he’d had more breath in his burning lungs he would have snarked at Whirlwind, but his mind was split between climbing as fast as he could, following Whirlwind’s footsteps as best as he was able, sending the occasional rock falling as he slipped or tripped, cursing to himself. Another arrow pinged off the wall above Whirlwind’s head, and Mazuku cursed louder this time. “Ready as I’ll ever be!” He called back, leaping over a small gap and hoping they would be out of the range of fire soon. Running and shooting was hard, especially over this sort of terrain, the two of them scaling the walls in a way the Aodhians couldn’t hope to follow, not at their speed. A few were daring to try, and Mazuku risked a glance back, spotting them climbing and closing the distance slowly but surely. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 16:09:20 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 345 | Post: 20Whirl ducked his head as he heard the arrow knock off of the rock overhead. He was agile and quite used to this bouncing around through the canyons up and down cliff faces. "You just follow right behind me, and be careful. There's a drop ahead." He called, trying to keep it as quiet as he could with his adrenaline and the distance between them.
The last thing he wanted was for them to be heard as they escaped into the caves. Even then, they'd be lucky not to be followed, and even luckier not to run into the cougar hiding within. He'd only seen her once, and had no desire to get up close and personal with her. He'd spare poor Mazuku that information. Hopefully they'd make it through in the clear. The aodhians behind them were shouting and cursing as they stumbled along the edge. They were much slower, and the ledge was starting to crumble bit by bit the more feet came across it. Before long it'd fall away into the ravine below.
Whirlwind's breaths came out in deep gusts, his neck and shoulders sweated with the effort of tugging himself along uphill. The drop was just up ahead. The ground seemed to vanish from the path, falling off with a gap on the other side. He rooted through his satchel, tossing a couple of things across, just little scraps of metal and such as he skidded to a halt at the edge. There were voices from behind them, echoing through chasm. They'd have seconds to get down into the cave just below the top lip of the ravine without being seen.
"Down we go," He said breathlessly, bunching his muscles to make the leap. It'd be tight. He had no doubt he'd fit, and he'd have to trust that Mazuku would find his way. He jumped down, vanishing into the ravine's gaping. maw and landing on the bottom lip of the cave entrance. Just inside, it was dark like the night outside. It'd be perfect cover if they were fast enough. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 16:17:07 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 185 | post: 21 He watched Whirlwind toss the few bits and bobbles and quickly pieced together his plan, ears pricking up as a flash of appreciation swept over his face- it was a clever idea, and hopefully the Aodhians would fall for the trick. The screamer leaped off into the darkness and Mazuku’s heart plummeted a moment, remembering falling, scattered broken glass, a pain unlike anything he had felt before or since. He stared into the abyss, jolted from his momentary lapse of sense by a shout from close behind them. With no options left, he jumped. He skidded, rocks sent scattering away from him as he landed down beside Whirlwind, throwing his dark wing over the screamer and tugging them down, hoping to cover them both from view as much as possible. They’d have to look down to see them, but hopefully Mazuku’s colors and the shadows would hide them if anyone happened to glance down here. He held his breath, heart hammering in his ears as the shouts grew closer, rocks and dust falling down into the chasm from above as hooves approached, loud as thunder. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 17:27:22 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 277 | Post: 21Tucked safely under Mazuku's wing, sheltered by the darkness of the cave, Whirlwind sank close to the floor of the cave, breaths soft and shallow in fear of being heard. The rocks clattered away into the cave, knocking off of the stone walls and echoing deep within. It went much farther than they were in just now. It'd go deep into the canyon, and Whirlwind wasn't sure if it came out the other side but it may have proved to be their only way out. He hadn't considered that. Well, how else would that cougar be getting down if there was no other way out. He'd have to trust it.
He didn't dare to move a muscle, just hardly peeking around Mazuku's wing to gaze up at the edge of the cliff they'd just leapt from. One, two, three bodies flew over, headed down the way he'd thrown the miscellaneous items to get them off their path. There was silence, but someone was still standing up on top of the edge. The moonlight from the clear sky overhead cast their shadow down across the ravine, a looming threat reaching towards the darkness to blend, and swallow them whole. Whirl's breath caught in his throat, shying back farther. He knocked a few stones loose, and they tumbled down the slope behind them inside, leading deeper into the cave.
The figure at the top of the cliff across from them shifted, then made a thoughtful sound in the back of their throat. "I think I found something!" She called.
Shit.
And then, she did the unthinkable. Her shadow coiled up, preparing to spring down into the opening with them. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 19:45:12 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 124 | post: 22 For a few breaths, he nearly dared to hope. The Aodhians flew overhead, one by one, and for a few blessed moments there was peaceful silent, their hooves fading into the night. And then a shadow moved at the top of the ravine. He inhaled, wing staying over Whirlwind as he took a slow, silent step back, then another, shooting the screamer a glance in the dark, hoping he would follow him. Just keep going. Quiet. He signed, a gesture of his legs and ears, eyes locked on the shadow coiled to strike like a cobra. He had no idea where the cave led, but disappearing into the darkness was their only chance. Shadows could not exist where there was no light, after all. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 20, 2020 20:57:00 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 264 | Post: 22The aodhian landed on the edge of the cave with the rattle of chainmail, her armored body silhouetted menacingly in the dim light. Maybe, if she wasn't a part of this war, she'd have looked like a normal person, a friendly face amongst a sea of other average, typical people. To Whirlwind, she might as well have been Ignacio himself; for to a seroran, he was something akin to a devil.
He crept backwards, obeying his command as he was told. The last thing they needed to do was make noise and get themselves stuck here. There were boulders all the way down into the depths of the cavern, easy to trip over if they weren't paying attention. He set each hoof down cautiously, knowing if they so much as grabbed one with their tekes to stop them from tumbling into the dark depths behind them it'd alert their position just as well as the noise itself.
His breaths shook, ever so soft and suppressed to keep from making too much of a disturbance. She watched the darkness, squinting against the darkness almost as if she thought that she had seen something. In her own ignorance, she decided to start deeper into the cave, drawing her short blade threateningly. As soon as she started towards them, Whirlwind panicked and pinned his ears, looking to the stallion at his side for some sort of direction since he didn't know what to do. They could flee into the caves. That might be their only option, but they couldn't see much better in here than she could. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 21, 2020 8:57:44 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 280 | post: 23 The dark of the cave felt like a live thing, like being in the maw of a great beast, the blackness sinister, the silhouette of rocks like broken teeth. He was keenly aware of each sound, the ominous death march of the Aodhian’s hooves creeping closer, the soft noise of her drawing her blade. He could hear the soft tremor in Whirlwind’s breathing, the slight hitch, and Mazuku remembered being very young, knife gripped in shaking teke, with no options left.
He remembered being scared.
The thought had barely crossed his mind before he stepped forward instead of back, feathers bristling along his chest. He glanced back at Whirlwind, the screamer’s fear acrid in the back of his throat, and he nodded at him, barely visible in the dim light. Not a sign, but a simple gesture of reassurance, before he crept forward, each hoof placed down in careful silence. He just needed to get close enough to get in one good blow, fast enough that hopefully she would not be able to cry out and warn the others. They wouldn’t have long before they came looking for her, but it would give them a head start. If she called for help, they would have mere seconds to run. He had been hoping to simply slip away like foxes leading the hounds astray, but she had unknowingly signed her own death warrant for the sin of being thorough. He felt bad for her, almost. He was nearly upon her when he drew his blade in a flash of teke, wing spreading as he leaped towards her, a blaze of silver shining in the dark as he went for her throat. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 21, 2020 10:35:36 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 218 | Post: 23The chevalier stood taller, jumping to attention as soon as Mazuku sprang from the shadows. She looked surprised, almost like she had suspected there might be someone hiding there, but not anticipating that they would show themselves. No, she'd likely expected them to continue to run or cower where she could practically smell the terror wafting off of someone, something that direction. It was so potent it was almost tangible.
Whirlwind stiffened as soon as Mazuku moved forwards, staring up at him through wide blue eyes like he wasn't expecting him to run towards the danger, but away from it. "No," He mouthed, shaking his head, but it was too late.
The two met with crashing blades and a shocked shout from the chest of the ahodian mare. She met him ferociously, her eyes alight with fire like she had drawn it from her soul. She was skilled, dodging his would-be lethal jab with relative skill and meeting him with her own short sword. She didn't keep her distance, moving in close and swiping at him with her blade, clean, quick, and precise. Years of training showed in her elegant movements, the flow of each step like that of a dancer, light as a feather and deadly as a violent thunderbird.
They would not get off that easily. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 21, 2020 10:55:13 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 194 | post: 24 Their blades met in a clash of metal, sparks raining out into the dark, the light of teke reflecting off their weapons and eyes, Mazuku’s shining like an animal’s as he met her blow for blow, again and again. She was trained, moving effortlessly through elegant forms, and he was hard pressed to keep up. Exhaustion was catching up to him, blood running over his coat to drip onto the sandy stone floor, slowly but steadily draining his energy. A good hit knocked him to the ground, hissing in sudden anger as a wound opened on his shoulder, weeping crimson as he scrambled back up, though he favored his foreleg. He couldn’t keep it up for long, he knew that, and each blow was a little more desperate, a little more feverish as he swiped and jabbed, intent on using every dirty trick he could think of to take this soldier down. He grabbed at her ears, swiped for her eyes, teke flashing for her legs to try and trip her up, battering at her with his wing as he tried to overwhelm her, teeth bared and mouth still crimson from the earlier fight. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 21, 2020 12:36:25 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 227 | Post: 24The mare was growing tired by now as well, especially under such heavy armor. However, she persisted, matching the mercenary with waning strength. She was heavily sweated, hardly seeming to feel the slashes of his blade across her unarmored parts of her neck and legs with her adrenaline rush. He was skilled, and while he tripped her and brought her near her knees once, twice, three times, she recovered with each. When she came up the third time, she was met with a wing to the side of her head, disorienting her for long enough to give him the opportunity to slash his blade across her eye.
She screamed in pain, reeling back away from him and slashing her blade desperately to keep him back. Red sullied her vision, and everything went black to her right, leaving her blind to the darkness of the cave on that side of her, and to the little patch of gold that had been nestled fearfully amongst the rocks. In a final act of desperation, she charged him, aiming for his already wounded shoulder in an effort to knock him down.
If she could get him on the ground, she assumed that things just might turn in her favor.
Whirlwind stiffened and stood taller in his spot, gripping the hilt of his blade as he watched her close in on Mazuku. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 21, 2020 12:55:15 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 265 | post: 25 Shit! That scream might have been their undoing, he could only hope the other Aodhians didn’t hear her, the sound rattling in his ears as she threw herself back, spattering hot blood over him as she shook her head. He snarled as he lunged forward, hoping to take her down while she was distracted, but the desperate charge hit square into the torn flesh of his shoulder, and his vision went white with pain. He hit the ground with a grunt, air leaving his lungs at the impact and unable to get it back in, the wind knocked clear out of him as the dark cave filled with stars, his eyes forced wide open even as they paled. He rolled onto his back, knife coming up in a sudden, desperate jab up underneath her, aiming between her armor as he drove upwards with all his fading strength for one last ditch effort. His ears were slicked flat against his skull, eyes wide and rimmed in white, teeth bared as he stabbed upwards. He knew Aodhians were generally uninterested in killing, much preferring to take prisoners as slaves, but the blind rage she was attacking him with made him fear that she had thrown those orders to the wind when he had taken her eye. He almost hoped she would, preferring to die here in a dark cave then to be taken out of Sedo in chains, teeth bared at her as he struck out, lashing out with hooves as well as his knife. Even if death here was preferable, he would not go down quietly. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 21, 2020 17:46:52 GMT -6
TW: BLOOD/GORE/DEATH
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 369 | Post: 25 This time, Mazuku did not have to worry about her coming down upon him with her blade. He did not have to fret for his life, or for being impaled, eviscerated by an angry, blinded aodhian by the tip of her glistening silver blade. What followed was the clatter of steel against stone, and then silence; chilling silence. She had been met by a curved sword lodged firmly under her jaw, yanked back as though the person who had attacked her was fearful of what he had done. The cave floors ran wet with something other than water, something dark red, and the aodhian mare stumbled back away from the two. Not a single sound besides a few strangled gurgles escaped the parted lips of the once noble warrior before she hit the ground.
Her fire had been smothered.
She's dead. Whirlwind stood splay legged, shaking with the blade still held out in front of himself. It fell to the ground with a rattle only a moment later, teke dispersing and leaving his the hilt shrouded in darkness. He took a sharp breath in, eyes welling up with terror and shock. She's dead. I killed her. She's dead.
He let out a terrified whimper and scrambled back away from what he had done, stopping at the stone wall to his haunches. Up above, the voices of those searching for them echoed through the canyon.
"I heard something! This way! Down here!" A gruff male voice called.
"Down there? There's nothing but a ravine!" Another replied.
"Damini? Damini! Where the hell did she go? Always... wandering off on her own... It's gonna get her killed one of these days."
Whirlwind stopped listening. He couldn't hear anything but his own trembling breaths and his blood rushing in his ears. They couldn't stay here. It wasn't safe. It was only a matter of time before they found them, and if they stood here shell shocked and shaking they'd be easy prey.
But Whirlwind was frozen. He could not move, could not breathe, could not blink or tear his eyes from the terrible deed he'd done. He could not look away from her bright orange eyes, now devoid of life, flame snuffed like a candlelight. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 21, 2020 18:45:40 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 348| post: 26 She fell with a quiet thud, eyes staring blankly ahead, and for a moment Mazuku thought his blade had struck home, but Whirlwind’s sudden, panicked whine and the scramble of his hooves made his head jerk to the side. His own flanks rose and fell quickly, suddenly keenly aware of every single ache on his body, the fact that he was now coated in a mare’s blood. The sudden silence was deafening. A shudder ran through him. It never really got any easier, much as he claimed otherwise. Even if he had not been the one to do the deed, and for a moment a strange pang echoed in him, a feeling he couldn’t quite name. He’d hoped to spare Whirlwind this much, at least. Slowly, he rose to his feet, legs trembling under him as he mechanically stepped to the mare. He knew she was dead, there was no reason to check. Silver teke glowed gently, closing her bright eyes. “We have to go.” He said quietly, turning to look at Whirlwind, cowering against the far walls. Something in his harsh face was soft, sympathetic as his eyes flickered over the trembling screamer. His tone was almost gentle, not quite but nearly, and he stepped slowly towards Whirlwind, every movement careful and deliberate. “...Breathe,” He grunted, ears twitching as he lifted his knife, using the faint glow of his teke to light the cave ahead of them, staring into the dark. He had no idea where these caves went, if they went anywhere. He glanced up worriedly, hearing the voices, a few rocks dropping from the ceiling as equines walked above. “Whirlwind. Can you lead us out?” He asked lowly, tail swishing as he glanced towards the entrance. If the screamer couldn’t, they’d have to make a stand here. He didn’t like their odds in close quarters, he didn’t know how many soldiers were coming or how many were blessed like this soldier had been.
And with as much death as the two of them had caused, he doubted the Aodhians were interested in taking them alive.
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 21, 2020 19:09:56 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 532 | Post: 26Whirlwind finally broke from her lifeless gaze as he raised his glassy blue eyes up to look at Mazuku. It was with a sharp jolt and a stab of guilt through that resonated through his entire being, clutching at his heart and making it skip in his ears. He didn't hear what he said. He just saw his lips move at first, ears capturing the words but not understanding what they were for breaths.
"Breathe..."
And so he did. The quivering amber champagne took one breath, two, then one more. Slowly but surely, his temporary deafness faded, his heart no longer thumping like war drums in the back of his head and up into his throat. His ears swiveled back, then forwards again to listen to Mazuku, trusting him more than himself at this moment to make the right decision.
"Whirlwind. Can you lead us out?"
With the new assignment, the smaller of the two breathed once more, and nodded briskly, seeming to return to his senses. He grabbed up his bloodied blade and tucked it back into its place. He didn't dare look back at the mare, the mare whose name he now knew, who surely had a life, a family back home. It disgusted him. Why were they here? Why were they here when they had so many more important things in their lives that they should be taking care of instead of squabbling over petty matters. It was easy to think of these invading soldiers as inanimate, soulless beings;
It was easy, that was until being reminded of their mortality.
They all bled the same color blood. They all breathed the same air. They all knew the same gods, whether they felt the same about them all or not. They all loved, laughed, smiled, cried, hurt, and they all felt rage. They were all living creatures in spite of themselves and their numbness to this war. In a wave of emotion, Whirlwind had been reminded of it all. It shocked his soul and ripped at the tendrils of resentment and malice that gripped at his heart.
He had a job to do now, though, and so standing by was not an option. He turned to follow Mazuku, taking the lead after just a few strides.
"This tunnel opens up on the other side of this mesa." He didn't add the I think after it, because he didn't want his companion to worry or doubt him. The little stallion's voice trembled as it came out, the words at the end of each sentence cracking as they came out. He swallowed hard. "We won't be alone in here. We have to hurry."
And they'd not be alone at the mouth of the cave for much longer either. Their pursuers were on the other edge of the cliff by now, and they almost sounded as though they were preparing to come down after them. Whirlwind knew they couldn't take the chance. One had been hard enough. Two, three, four, however many more there were, would be too much for them to take on their own, and so down into the dark maw of the cave they'd have to go, into the unknown. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 21, 2020 19:34:55 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 261 | post: 27 The way the screamer’s voice trembled made his frown deepen, and he nodded stiffly, glancing behind them towards the opening before he turned, hurrying after Whirlwind. The dark swallowed them, lit only by the dim glow of Mazuku’s teke, washing them both out in gray like moonlight. It gave the shaken screamer a ghostly look, eyes huge and rimmed with white, pale in the silver light. Their shuffling, uneven footsteps echoed and his ears swivelled, trying to get a gauge for how large the cave tunnel was. Being underground made his hair stand on end- he liked the dark, felt safer there, but miles of earth above his head made his skin crawl. “Not alone?” He prompted, a touch worried but also just eager to keep him talking. Much as he wasn’t interested in small talk, in talking at all, when Whirlwind had seemed completely unable to hear him it had…. Scared him, if he was being honest. He tried not to think about it, focusing on the here and now. Keep him talking. Keep them both moving. His shoulder was aflame, and he limped quietly at Whirlwind’s side, annoyed more than anything that he was leaving a blood trail, if the Aodhians could even find it in the dark. He clenched his jaw, doing a mental tally on his injuries, coming up with a prognosis of not good. He wouldn’t do well in another fight, and Whirlwind had already mentally checked out. If the Aodhians caught up, they might be well and truly fucked.
Well, we won’t get caught, then.
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 21, 2020 19:53:13 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 258 | Post: 27Whirlwind, in his own shell shocked haze, had not even noticed Mazuku's injuries. He was focusing on not falling, and trying to stop the image of that mare's wide open eyes as they lost their light from replaying over and over. He tried not to remember how he felt when he ripped the blade through her neck, focusing on walking, walking, talking, moving, interacting with anything other than the fear and still tangible memories that tickled at the back of his weary mind.
Mazuku's words brought him back to reality yet again, and he jumped as if he'd screamed in his ear. He let out a shaky breath, then nodded just once.
"I've seen signs of a cougar's... residence... at the exit of this cave. If we're lucky, she'll be out." He began slowly, glancing back up to his companion stiffly. It was then that he recognized the hitch in his step, and he smelled the blood on him.
"You're... very hurt." He said softly, voice shaking all over again. And to think he'd just steadied it, too. "Should we stop? Find a place to... to lay low?" But of course, that wasn't reasonable. They'd be found, be it by a cougar or by the chevaliers when they'd inevitably start into the cave after them. He was just unable to recognize that in his startled state. All that he could think about was having to witness two deaths in one night, each, he could only conclude, were to some fault of his own, even if was largely untrue. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 22, 2020 10:19:37 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 271 | post: 28 He listened, one ear pointed towards Whirlwind at all times, the other slowly scanning behind them, listening for any sign of pursuit. So far the silence was almost more worrying than sound. He didn’t like not knowing where the chevaliers were, but he would have to take whatever he could get. “She won’t bother us,” He grunted, focusing on each heavy, plodding step. “Nocturnal. She’ll be hunting. If we’re gone by dawn she won’t even know we were here.” Unless she was in the area, and smelled fresh blood and came to investigate, but he left that part out. The commotion with the soldiers probably scared off any creature within a few miles, anyway. “We can rest later,” He said gruffly, not denying anything Whirlwind said, because what was the point of denying that he was hurt and needed to rest? His teke flickered every so often, knife drooping before jolting back up, as if falling asleep. “I’ve had worse. Can you think of any caves or anything in the area?” He asked. “Preferably in the opposite direction of the caravan.” The last thing they needed was to leave a trail back to Serorans without any knowledge of what had happened. He knew both of them were more than capable of covering their own tracks, but not when one of them was slowly dripping blood, and the other was in shock. They needed to lick their wounds for a bit before trying to head back, at least in Whirlwind’s case. Mazuku would probably hand over his goods and disappear back into the brush.
It was all he knew how to do.
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 22, 2020 16:41:34 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 239 | Post: 28A cave, another cave... Whirlwind wracked his brain, his mental map scrambled and turned upside down now. He couldn't seem to rearrange it, at least not as quickly as usual. He had to pause, breathe, and force his brain to slow down. Yes, yes there was a cave north of here, the other way from the caravan. It was a ways off, at least a couple of miles, but they could surely make it. He wasn't able to see just how heart Mazuku was but he could smell him, and he could hear each stutter step he took and how tentatively he put that foot down. When had he gotten hurt? It was all such a blur. He cursed himself for not stepping in sooner, but he hadn't had the guts to do it.
I'd have just been in the way.
"Yes, there is a cave a couple of miles north of here." He replied with a nod. Talking kept the silence away, as much as he hated useless distractions. Right now, he needed one.
He was worried about the cougar, the chevaliers, the mare they'd left lying dead at the maw of the cavern. It was like a cavern of death, reeking now of the blood that Mazuku spilled behind him and cursed with the murder of another. It made him shudder, to think of the bad energy that must surround this place to lead to such disaster. |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 22, 2020 21:14:27 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 251 | post: 29 He limped along steadily, reaching up to swipe at his nose every so often with his wing, coming away bloodied. The mare had gotten a good hit to his muzzle, he noted distantly. The post fight calm was beginning to sink in, a detached sort of exhaustion, everything seeming very far away, even his own body, the pain slowly fading and growing distant. It had been the only way he had survived losing his wing, honestly. That detachment. He had barely survived that whole thing, but the numbness that had taken over had helped keep him on his feet, had kept him from collapsing from sheer despair. The echoes of it tickled at the back of his mind, feathers of a phantom limb, shoulder aching with a weight it would never bear again. He hated the feeling. He grunted a response, since there were few words he could reply to that, nothing that Whirlwind didn’t know and would just be a waste of air. They both knew it would not be an easy journey, that a few miles would be nothing during the day but would now be a gruelling task to take on. Mazuku would make it. He had no choice. A little more gently then he normally would, he cuffed Whirlwind over the back of the head, thumping him lightly with his wing. “...Don’t get too caught up in it.” He grunted, ears flat as he stared fixedly ahead, brows furrowed. “You did good. Saved my ass back there.” |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 24, 2020 12:07:37 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 225 | Post: 29Mazuku was right. If he'd done nothing, the stallion limping at his side would probably be dead right now instead of just injured. He remained silent, his brows drawn together in concentration as they picked their way through the cave. It was damp, this deep within. It was dark. He wasn't sure if there actually was an opening on the other side. He was just hoping his limited experience would guide him correctly, and that he hadn't just led them to their doom.
"How did we get here?" He asked. How did they get to this point? To running through a cave, one injured and the other shaking on his feet from the deed he'd done? How had they gotten caught?
He wasn't experienced and sure, it was risky, but why had it come to this? He felt soft, like the sniveling children back with the caravan or the emotional healers that he'd only interacted with a handful of times due to his aversion to them and their nagging and worrying. He'd thought he was a strong person. He thought he was a warrior, a fighter, with a heart and mind like a steel trap nothing to get in and nothing to get out and he ... had never been more wrong about himself in his entire life.
"I feel like I've been a terrible fool." |
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 24, 2020 12:49:53 GMT -6
M A Z U K UFight because you don't know how to die quietly.
wc: 198 | post: 30 Oh, no. Feelings.
He’d rather turn around and pick a fight with the remaining soldiers then try to talk about their feelings. His ears twitched, having no idea where to even begin, the pain radiating off Whirlwind like a third presence in the tunnel. His mouth opened and closed, ears flattening as he scowled at the floor, thoughts circling wildly. He was too tired for this. He supposed it might be unfair to expect Whirlwind to put all his emotions in a box to never open, like Mazuku did, and he was perfectly happy that way. Whirlwind just hadn’t learned how to do that yet. “You weren’t,” He grunted eventually. “I expected it to go ass over tea kettle, honestly. S’why I wasn’t sure if you should come.” He flicked his tail, plodding along at Whirlwind’s side. “I didn’t doubt you, I just… didn’t want to put you through this.” His words came out in a near growl, refusing to look anywhere near the screamer, eyes fixed on where he was placing each hoof. “I’m used to this shit. You shouldn’t have had to hurt anyone and I’m... sorry.” His ears pinned flat, feathers bristled along his chest. |
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Post by lightningwolf913 on Jan 24, 2020 12:59:11 GMT -6
= W H I R L W I N D =
"-"
WC: 276 | Post: 30The words that came from Mazuku sounded forced, but not any less truthful. He didn't sound to Whirlwind like he was trying to say something just to say something. The apology was sincere, but Whirlwind refused to accept it. It wasn't because he wanted to burden Mazuku with guilt, but it was rather for a completely different reason. This wasn't his fault.
"I wanted to come." He looked back up to the larger stallion, standing a bit taller at that. "It was my decision, and you couldn't have changed that either way. It had been on my mind, and it was necessary. Without the resources we're carrying in our packs," He adjusted his saddlebag with his teke at that. "The caravan I'm leading would suffer even more. I guess... in a way, this was a necessary evil, and we knew what the risks were."
He frowned deeply, his eyes hardening as he stared back up at Mazuku, making eye contact fiercely. "So I won't accept your apology, because you couldn't have stopped me anyway."
And there's no reason for you to be sorry for the actions that I have taken.
They'd make it out of this, and in the end, while this night would haunt him, it had also changed something in him. He could feel it now, tickling in the back of his chest. He didn't know if it was a good change or a bad change yet. He didn't know if it would make him stronger or weaker, but there was a certain sense of recognition of a snapped cord that was holding a steel door shut. And stranger yet, he didn't mind it. |
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