Crystan: Dawn of War

"I have a whip," Aida said, "It would be easy for me to nab them all and interrogate them."
Aida smiled at Kee.
"I like your idea,"
Finally, we are not going to be led around like dogs on a leash.

 

“Right, you use the whip, then I’ll use despair to stun them. I‘ll use my nature crystal and string the one at the back up. You take the one at the front, the last one should hopefully stay stunned we can deal with him last.”

Kee closed her eyes to convene with Despair, I want them to feel pain, sink them down to the lowest levels of misery their there for you to take.

No sooner had Kee thought it then the tendrils of despair could be felt in the air, weaving about her victims, reminding them of their faults and giving them tantalising glimpses of the failures they were. They looked startled but appeared to recognise that they all felt it and it was not right. Kee concentrated her power allowing it to reach out to the one who had been spying on them. Make him tried, make his misery to heavy a burden and let him sleep.

 

Aida gave Kee a thumbs up. He took out his whip and targeted the one Kee had told him. He wrapped the whip around the man's waist and made sure he slammed into the nearest tree.
"That should make him cognitive enough for him to talk to us," Aida said sitting the man back on the horse with the gentleness he could give the man.
Then Aida used the whip to hold onto the reins of the horse. He pulled it.
"Slow," Aida said.
The horse was now walking slower, which would make it easier for them to grab the man.

 

Kee commanded her nature crystal, as she dropped from her mount and walked towards the man at the back, “confine him,” her voice had become cold, her despair crystal working overtime. Roots burst forth from the earth and wound up the spindling legs on the Aelin’s mount. Earth broke away from the roots and they bound tightly about the horse, as it bayed, its screams high pitched foam at its mouth it reared as it fought for freedom. The mount fell to its side and the Aelin rolled away from the mount the roots bound him against the ground.

“Now little man,” Kee said. “If your life is worth more then spittle you‘ll come down from that mount and let us hear what it is you had planned. Or I‘ll have your various body parts spread about the countryside quicker then you can blink.”

 

Aida smiled at Kee.
She is kinda pretty when she is demanding as well.
I want her to demand me like that some time.
That would be fun.
The man was not coming from the mountain. Aida didn't want to interfere, but maybe these guys would soften up if he allowed them to know that he was the Divine Judge of the Seven Prodigies.
But he decided just to watch Kee.

 

Riana

The man was shaken from the effects of the Crystal, as they all were. But his Aelin mind was still strong enough to bring defiance to his eyes. He spat at her.

"Kill me, then, cat! What transpires here is larger than either of us." From under the branches that entangled him, his hand flexed, and a glow emanated from beneath the sleeve of his robe. A bright white light shone in his hand, and then expanded itself, taking the shape of a long, slender blade wreathed in white flame. The strange fire licked up the branches that confined his arm and he tore free, slashing outward with the summoned sword. He swung around, lightning fast, and the weapon bit into Kee's shoulder. Instantly she felt intense, debilitating pain, as though her arm had been sliced off. And yet her arm remained, seemingly without harm.

The Aelin Crystalmancer crossed to Aida, and plunged the white blade into his stomach. From the spot where it entered, it emanated pain, flowing to his chest and legs; but no physical wound was made. He doubled over and fell on his knees to the ground.

The Aelin held a defensive pose, the white sword blazing in his hand.

"Anyone else?"

 

Chaos hops down from the horse and looks at the man's sword, that seemed to be made of light. "That's an interesting weapon. It stuns and creates percieved pain rather than kill. Might I suggest that you tie them up, to prevent that from happening again when the effects where off. I'll keep guard over them and make sure that doesn't happen again." says Chaos, in his normal calm voice.

 

“Very well then,” Kee said removing the dagger from it’s sheave, “Lets play.”

Take me I am yours she commanded despair, no sooner had it been said. Her mind had numbed and despair took its place throbbing. Screaming hungry for misery.

 

Chaos lets out a sigh, and then looks over at Aida, who is still doubled over in pain.

......Lets see just how much she does care about you......

Chaos walks over to Aida and lifts him up, to a standing position. Aida seemed reluctant to go along with the plan. "Hey Kee, why don't you start with him?"

 

Aida looked at Chaos.
"Why do am I used as the food?" Aida said.
Aida looked at Kee as she change before his eyes. Her eyes were not the same, they were filled with some deeper then what Aida could explain. He looked at Kee straight in the eye. He was exactly sure what was happening. Aida gave Chaos a quick glare and then stared back in Kee's eyes as if they were an abyss or void of a deeper feeling.
"Kee," Aida said.

 

Chaos whispers into Aida's ear "Consider this a calculated risk. For one reason or the other, she seems to like you. You could get the real Kee to come back to reality. You care deeply for her, correct? Then go save her." He gives Aida a small push towards Kee.

.......She seems to different as compared to last night. I wonder if her crystal is really this powerful. Aida might be able to bring her back, or she'll rip him to shreds. She needs to learn how to control that crystal, or I'll have to find a way to destroy it.......

 

Aida understands what he must do, but he doesn't want to be ripped into shreds like the other guy would have been. Aida sighs in deeply.
No despair, feel what you feel when you don't see her likes this.
Remember the horse back ride.
The feelings came back to him really quickly. The fluttering feeling, her smile, everything.
"Kee its me Aida," Aida said, "Remember we made a promise that we wouldn't change on each other....well right now you have changed and its really making me uncomfortable."
Aida wondered if words were really going to get to her. If they weren't he would have to do something else.

 

“You lead us. Your directions are just as good as mine.” Her voice was quieter then usual, and her eyes seemed to be somewhere else.

I stopped, looking at her, trying to see something, a clue purhaps of what was wrong. Purhaps she was still mad at me. My hand tightened over hers, my face serious. "I really am sorry." I said again, worried that I may have really insulted her back their. She was definatly acting different and I was determined to find out why, and what was wrong.

 

Kee spun with the dagger holding it to Aida’s throat. She needed just a quiver a little taste of fear. But she couldn’t reach it in him. There was something there but it wasn’t calling for despair, it was calling for her true self. The crystal didn’t want to recoil but Kee wanted to push it away. No she didn’t want to change, not if it made Aida unhappy. Uncomfortable, the words hurt. She didn’t want that.

With her own thoughts, she seemed to be pushing despair back. By reasoning with herself that she didn’t want it here slowly despair was vanishing. She sheaved her dagger and shook her head.

“I…I‘m so sorry,” she managed to whisper before running away.

 

Ostran was silent throughout the reunion, but a question that was burning in his mind begged him to be asked.

"Hawk" he said, the man turned around looking surprised to hear him speak. "Who are the people who chase us? I want to know what cause these men give their lives for."

 

His hand tightened around hers, and she stopped swinging her arm. She looked up at him with a scrunched nose.

"I really am sorry."

She could feel his seriousness, and a frown started to show itself on her face. She quickly bit her lip, and turned it into a smile and looked up at him. She gave a half-hearted laugh.

“It’s okay, really, it is.” She walked backwards, and tugged him forward with their grasp, “Let’s go.”

 

Arven Dol couldn't say anything, for he had been held hostage at the moment. His mind is somewhere else.
"Hold it, you little punks. If not, this lad's gonna be history." said the man in white robe.

 

"Fine keep your secret." I said with a slight frown. If she didn't want to tell me then she didn't have to, I wasn't her owner. I followed after her, the partial frown on my face, I'd have expected her to be more open, but purhaps it's all these people around, maybe she was embarased by me, silly though I thought that would be.

I know I said she could keep her secret but couldn't stop my mouth from running anyways. "If I embarous you than let go of my hand." I commented dryly.

 

Hawk's group

Piesca had fared a little better than the others as they had entered the hotter climate, shedding her coat and eventually changing into her shorts. Clad only in her leather vest, necklace, short pants, and boots she wished that she could get rid of the warmer things but instead rolled them and carried them on her back with her other things. She was loth to part with anything in case they came back this way again.

The bare legs and arms did help with the desert heat but she also tanned deeply in that time, the blonde highlights coming up in her hair. She wished many times for her cool Northern forest rather than this hot wasteland.

What a strange place it was. Instead of trees it grew rocks and instead of the lush foliage that she took for granted even the scrubby grass eventually became hard to find.

When they reached Garma, Piesca was happy to see civilization. The villagers looked at them with amused interest until their eyes came to her. Then there was a slight drawing away of the women and the men began to grin. Apparently bare legs and arms were not fashion du jour in these parts.

As the group entered the inn the attention was similar. Piesca felt slightly uncomfortable with the ogling but said nothing. The dagger at her waist and her crossbow seemed to discourage any more than the mumbled comment from the most inebriated.

“F’n lkkin’ wench lii’ thet...” he smacked his lips and the men around him shushed him before he could go on. The look in Piesca's eyes was not a patient one.

Piesca rolled her eyes and shrugged the lot of them off with one shoulder as Hawk talked with Thain.

"We have today and tonight to rest and enjoy ourselves. Tomorrow, the real journey begins."

And won’t THAT be fun, thought Piesca who by then was a little out of sorts, Stuck here in the backside of the desert with people who are looking at me funny, a wise man on a secret mission (who is also some kind of stalker...how'd he know all about me?), a Solan who annoys me, a cat-man who is the silent type, and a guy who thinks he's my father.

Sticking to her quarters was starting to sound like a fine idea.

First order of business was a bath if she could find one and then food. There had been little enough to eat on the journey thus far.

“If you could show me to my quarters,” Piesca said to Thain in Alarin, “I should like a bath.” Exhaustion and nervousness caused her tone to come across more arrogant than she had intended.

 

Orillon finished playing his tune and he brought the scope back up to his eye. He could see Cid furiously arguing with one his crew, the First Mate probably. I guess they got the message, he thought. Orillon grabbed the rope next to him and used it to slide down off the crow's nest.

"What do we do now, cap'n?"
"We wait, my friends," Orillon said with a smile. "And have your weapons sharp."

 

"Fine keep your secret."

She pulled him along, her hand wrapped around his. She bit her lip, she could feel his unhappiness and it made her sad. She just continued forward, hoping she could make it up to him later.

"If I embarrass you than let go of my hand."

Her mouth fell down, and she stopped suddenly. Her hand only went tighter on the grasp to his and she slowly turned around, her eyebrow arched, “Embarrassed?” she was perplexed. Where had he gotten that?

“I’m not embarrassed by you!” she said, her free hand grabbing his free hand, “What would make you think that?”

 

"Oh come on." I said and looked around, "You have been acting wierd and it started after we got into town, I know as much as anyone that people look down on others due to race and status. I am diferent than you and have no status among any group." I said and smirked, looking into her eyes. "It's fine with me really, just don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to, I'm a big boy." I commented realizing that It may have came off a bit harsh but then again it should, even if I was wrong it was her fault for not telling me what was actually wrong.

I could see the docks now. We were almost to them..

 

She scrunched up her nose and went to speak but stopped. He thought it was him, that was the problem? She couldn’t help but find that cute, yet so annoying at the same time! A laugh left her throat as she looked up at him with a genuine smile.

“You think it’s you?” she said, as they slowly started forward again, as they got closer to a crowd near the docks, “Not you! How could I be ashamed of you, you’re so…” she paused and blushed and went into a giggle, “You’re beautiful, and me! And me! I look like I walked out of a vat of tar and fell into a fur mill!.” She pointed to the people in their area, “I mean, I've dealt with this since I left Mahr... but it's different when you actually lo-like someone. You’re the one that is suppose to be ashamed of me!” She slowly slumped away, letting go of his hands.

 

She turned away and I recovered my shock enough to allow my usual smirk to return to my face. With out much delay I scooped her up into my arms like a child, and smirked at her. "But if you weren't furry who'd keep me warm." I said and rubbed my cheek against her soft fur. "So much softer and warmer than anyone else I've ever known." I commented and then added. "I'm not just talking about your fur, but your heart." I said and held her their for a moment, no shame of her, not careing if people were looking.

 

Orillon in Maeril

Orillon could see that the crowd of people at the docks had turned their attention and hushed tones away from him and his Shale crew to something else. He leapt over to the mast and scaled it to the nest. He was getting worried that whatever the Aelin expected to happen, was. The Fighting Syrenka was getting closer and he didn't want things to go south now. He grabbed the scope and scanned the dock for what the people were looking at. Then he spotted it. He could've sworn he had met her at the meeting with Hawk.

He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Ahoy there, Mahri!" he bellowed.