Expeditionary Episodes of the Mercicle and the Cactus Queen

[Quietus]

RAST. Mar-hesh!

Urging her beast onwards, upwards, she raced after the blazing streak of fire now shooting upwards into the sky.

Get your feet on the ridges at either side of it's chest, in front of its wings. Their headtails are sensitive - use them like a jointed control for a ship to steer and your weight to balance him out.

 

[Aver Brand]

We’re not all feather category like you, Des— she dropped her mental focus to flatten herself against the creature. Nearly perpendicular climb, now.

— and can you even pilot a ship?

It wasn’t so much different to riding Puppy, when it came down to it. Sure, there was the difference in, well, size… and mobility – but really, Aver’d flown on Puppy too, technically speaking.

Matter of perspective, then.

 

[Quietus]

How the feth do you think I got here Aver Brand -

There was no stopping the eyeroll.

What did you put those damn cybernetics in for anyways? Get him level before he hits peak altitude!

 

[Aver Brand]

The kark do I know about peak altitudes?

Aver yanked on the headtails until the beast reared beneath her; dug the spurs of her boots into its fire-scales until it coiled forward, flapping its massive wings until it caught an updraft.

FINE. So it actually works!

 

[Quietus]

Blue and jade wings swooped in to circle those of flame, Beast Master shaking her head at the Merc.

Feet on the ridges, she repeated, up in front of the wings. Don't block the nasal passage openings, that's where they breath.

She pulled a length of cloth from the base of her beast's headtails and tossed it to Aver, Wrap that around the headtails close to the base, weave it between them and use it as a handle.

 

[Aver Brand]

We didn’t all major in murderous animal anatomy, Qui, Aver returned, twisting back to catch the bundled strip. As she upgraded her brand new mount, the merc subtly shifted against the scales.

Not entirely… comfortable. Thank kark for the armor.

What happens now? She gestured towards the beast beneath her, calm enough for now. This probably ain’t it, is it?

 

[Quietus]

No, smirking, Quietus shook her head, now you learn how to fly.


They flew until the sun slivered over the horizon, ending the evening in the sky with a hunt before returning to her home in the trees. After pulling the harness from her own mount, who Aver learned was named Sziva and was a female, Qui watched the two take to the trees where they would roost for the evening.

In the second level of her treehome she prepared the evening's meal over a firepit contained by clay and stone, throwing a large slab leg over for Puppy to gnaw on at the base of the tree when she returned.

So far as I can tell, Qui said while tending to the roast, basting it in a mixture of spices and herbs mixed with blood, they mate for life. Only the younger ones can be tamed, before they choose a mate - mated adults never take the challenge. Seems the taming process takes its place - Sziva's never accepted a courting since I claimed her. I don't believe she'll accept another rider either.

She looked across the fire at Aver, Thought of a name for yours?

 

[Aver Brand]

Her muscles tingled with a pleasant ache as she began to loosen Ygdris off her body. She hummed as the delectable smell of a fresh kill found her nostrils – eyes closed, head tipped back to savor the aroma of spice and cinder.

“Kinda like the skreev back on Onderon then?” Aver moved closer to the warmth of the fire, folding down cross-legged next to the blonde. “Kark, that smells fantastic – but nah, haven’t really thought about it.”

The woman shrugged, then leaned closer to the light of the flames to examine the lines left by her armor.

“Yours mean anything?”

 

[Quietus]

Sort of. Most skreev will accept any number of competent riders throughout their lives and will take a mate even after taming. There are some skreev, like my own, that would never accept another rider - typically only if you imprint on them at birth and raise them from a drake like I did.

Her eyes followed Aver's figure as the woman's armor disembarked, leaving her bare save for undergarments. There was no hint of this being out of the realm of normalcy for Quietus - a woman who lived among what would be considered savages. Full nudity, as Aver had come to learn during her visits, was not uncommon even in communal areas. She did, however, trace the silvered lines of scars left behind by the armor itself, curious as to the nature of how Ygdris and Ygdris were so connected.

Now she knew.

Sziva is the name of a river on Onderon known for its beautiful blue and green waters. This beast reminded me of it.

 

[Aver Brand]

“Heh. More selfish then?” Aver grinned, strolling over to the walkway as a heavy, shuffling sound filtered from the jungle.

Soon enough a Tuk’ata-shaped chunk of shadow separated from the darkness of the trees, dragging an amorphous mass that stank of blood and heat. The wetness lingered on the grass below where Puppy passed through, until she finally deposited her kill next to the chunk of leg, flopped on her arse, and started chewing.

The merc hummed as she kept her blue gaze on the beast below. “Well. Place that’s red and black…” she drummed her fingers on the railing. “How’s Selvaris sound?”

 

[Quietus]

You could say that, she smirked, turning the roast slowly on the spit.

Selvaris...isn't that the planet where Vrag died?

 

[Aver Brand]

“Mm. Yeah.” She shook her head, red and black dancing in the fire. “We… turned it inside out. Kinda. Lava all over the place, everything collapsed.” She blinked into the night, then pushed off the railing.

Soft footsteps brought her back to the hearth again – back to dinner. Still on the spit, when it should clearly already be in her belly.

“What’re we eating, actually?”

 

[Quietus]

And that's something you'd like to be reminded of?

Seemed a strange thing to want to remember but, she supposed, perhaps the memory was cathartic for Aver. Maybe she was proud of what she did to that planet, what she did to herself. Shedding her skin, evolving into her next self while decimating a planetary population. Bit dark for her tastes, but Aver always did have a rather dark sense of humor. Quietus leaned back from the spit, allowing it to rest, fat dripping into the fire with a pleasing sort of sizzle.

Do you recall that herd of brown and white striped creatures we flushed from the woods? That's what this is - I call them Eq'uari.

 

[Aver Brand]

Icy eyes followed the glinting dollop of fat as it slid off the charred skin.

She bit her lip.

“Why not? Aver Brand was born there.” The merc shrugged, peering up at Qui over her shoulder. “Not such a bad thing, I reckon. Vrag was a bit of an arrogant queen, wasn’t she?”

 

[Quietus]

No effort was spared to hold back the resulting smirk on her face.

I did not know her well enough to say, Qui produced a dagger from the small of her back and carefully sliced into the roast, but she certainly was something.

A slivered cut, glistening with juices crumpled to a washed and smoothed wooden plate of which she offered to Aver to try, To your liking?

 

[Aver Brand]

Twinkling blues side-eyed the blonde before she snagged the plate. Tearing off a sizzling piece of the roast, Aver sank her teeth into the meat with her particular gusto.

Something?

Her slice was not long for this world, and the merc was already licking the grease from her fingers by the time she finished her thought.

Like what?

 

[Quietus]

The smirk filtered away briefly for a look of bemusement - brow lofting in accompaniment.

Ravenous, the mute replied with a small shake of her head, smiling more easily now as she took the plate back and carved off a full serving for the woman. Either it was good or Aver was particularly hungry. Considering the effort put forth towards the taming it was likely a little bit of both. Trying really made the appetite strong.

And uncouth, if my brief exchange with her showed me anything.

Not much had changed, she thought to herself as she passed the plate back to the drooling Mercenary.

 

[Aver Brand]

You’re not gonna have some? It’s karking delicious. Also—

– another bite, though this time the merc had forgone the plate completely and just dove straight into the generous cut of meat –

the way I remember it, wasn’t me that was ravenous.

It was Aver’s turn to sport the shet-eating smirk, blood and all.

“Shidesh, ‘sh not like ah ain’t uncouh noh.”

 

[Quietus]

I take my meals raw whenever possible, not that she wasn't above snacking on a cooked meal, however. Quietus cut herself a plate of slivered pieces and set it on the floor beside her before leaning to make herself comfortable on the unrolled pelt. Raw meat kept certain ravenous needs in check and was, on the whole, far more appealing and satiating to hunger for her. Not so before, back in her old body, she recalled. Back then she couldn't have stomached a raw platter. Now it was natural - normal even. How things had changed...

She delicately lifted a sliver, fangs gaped, and had to give pause at the display of her mate chomping on her food in her underwear, talking with her mouth full no less.

...and how they had stayed the same.

No, the woman made a pained expression, shook her head and gave a silent snort of laughter, a picture of civility you are not, Ygdris. It's all part of your charm.

 

[Aver Brand]

The merc regaled Qui with a perfected eyeroll – imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery – then leaned forward to cut off another slice of meat.

“You’re one to talk, Miss I-ruled-over-savage-tribes-for-centuries.” Smirking, Aver sprawled out next to the woman. “And let’s not forget the epic I-eat-the-hearts-of-humans-who-defy me. Mm,” she laughed, twisting over to prop herself up on an elbow.

After a few moments of thoughtful chewing –

“I can do posh, you know.” She cleared her throat (swallowed), and put on her best Coruscanti accent. “One doesn’t get invited to high-stakes Sabacc if one doesn’t possess the proper comportment, you understand. So one adapts, even if utilizing such contrived verbiage is positively disgusting.”