Private To Hell and Back

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
(Ah yes, thanks for the reminder, will do so.)

Morwen, who had been ignoring that it was Kaida, smirked slightly.
“On the plus side, at least we don’t have anything to bomb to fix the problem. Or maybe we do, when all you see are bombs, everything starts to look like a crater, huh?”

Ashana meanwhile glared at Yohara. As she was ‘scanned’ she instinctively brought up her hand, and would have snatched the device from the scientist if Siona hadn’t gently laid a hand on her arm.
She still glared daggers at Yohara.

Tryana was looking a little anxious by the whole thing. “It does feel…odd,” she said timidly.

“Welcome to Kaeshana, Vash,” Morwen commented dryly. “Right, once your Professor there locates the exact position we can help you get there. We get the disruption field down, you get us off this cursed rock. And I am never going to eat another mushroom again.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

Siona tensed when she saw Yohara scan her friend. Truth be told, the revelation aroused conflicting feelings in her. She could not quite shake off the belief that being freed from her Sciia would be better for Ashana. No longer would she have to struggle against the siren call of her spirits. But...she rebelled against the idea of forcing it on her. "Keep your machinery away from her," she growled.

"Yes," Kaida was fast approaching her limits for small talk. "And we'll evac the other camps. Those that aren't crazy. Need a list of their locations. Least there are no Ashirans here." Oh, you sweet summer child...
"There are actually," one of Morwen's Kar'zun companions said in a booming voice. "They are holed up in an old shrine. Unpleasant folk. The Sicarii target them for raiding."
"They're in the middle of hell and they still think the 'heavenly mother' cares?" Telara scoffed, looking equal parts disgusted and baffled. "Let me guess, they think this is all part of her 'divine' plan and if they pray hard enough and kill enough unbelievers, they'll go to heaven."
"Yes," the Kar'zun affirmed.
"Fools." Is there something in our genetic code that promotes stupidity? Kaida wondered to herself. Why could her people not accept that there was no super-mother watching out for them, regardless of whether her name was Illyria, Ashira or Force knew what else? The very belief struck her as infantile, like a refusal to grow up and take responsibility.
"Void Stalkers take them. In the Harbinger's realm, their light is impotent," Siona said piously.
"If it is not too much of an effort, perhaps one of you strong soldiers could go fetch the Harmonic Resonator?" Yohara called to them while fiddling with some equipment. "Do be careful with it, and for heaven's sake do not press any buttons. And these instruments, while you are at it."

She put a list into the hand of the closest person, who happened to be Eyrecae. One imagined the devices would help locate the source of the disruption field. As for why she wanted the Harmonic Resonator, who knew. Presumably the McGuffin would turn out to be important at some point during their quest.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae had been watching the conference with a mix of curiosity and amusement. She truly had little stake in the theological debates, having known Ashira personally – and finding her a bit of an arrogant know-it-all.

However, she didn’t protest when she was sent to fetch and carry. It gave her something to do. She took along Telara and Tryana since the latter seemed keen to leave and the former probably was about to be even more scornful than was wise about religion.

“I don’t understand why people can’t work together more,” Tryana said plaintively. “If those Ashiran people worked with the Kar’zun and Illyrians they might have already been able to leave.”
“Because they’re stupid,” Telara said savagely. “So many of our people are just stupid, gullible, witless fools who will believe anything!”
The vehemence left Tryana a little taken aback. Eyrecae though chuckled.
“People do turn to what gives them hope, Telara.” The primeval Eldorai gave her a raised eyebrow. “People sometimes need little lies to believe the big ones.” She stopped, her tone changing slightly, becoming a little more normal.
“What big ones?”
“Justice, honour, mercy, good, evil. There are of nature lies.”
Telara looked uncomfortable. “Those aren’t lies though.”
“Of nature, Telara, look at the galaxy objectively. Grind down the galaxy’s atoms to the smallest residue, take each and every speck of matter and examine it with the finest device…and you will find no justice, no speck of evil. Those are lies we tell ourselves so that, in time, we accept them. We need them, Telara…so perhaps allow people a few others too.”
The two younger women were staring at her.
Eyrecae coughed slightly. “Come…Yohara I feel is a person of the most punctual nature. We should, I feel, hurry to obtain her request.” Her archaic style of talking was mostly returned and she moved on to the ship rapidly.

By the time they had returned Yohara was ready to deliver her final conclusions and point them to their destination….

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

((You can give the Kar'zun a name if you want. The party should run into the two Forsaken groups I linked a few posts ago. They're supposed to leave the planet, too.))

Sadly, Yohara had not been able to create a proper PowerPoint presentation. Power was way too unreliable. The lights kept flickering. However, they had a map. All eyes were on her. Mostly. She liked it that way. She was the smartest person in the room, after all.
"Now that we are all here, we can begin," she started. Everyone looked so impatient, even though just a couple moments ago they had been wasting time with posturing and theological debates. Typical. "I have pinpointed the source of the disruption field. Its epicentre lies in the old ziggurat. Fitting, I suppose, that the centre of the authority that kept the Eldorai wallowing in conceit and willful ignorance now keeps us trapped on a ruined planet with no hope or future. However, that is not the main problem."
"An astounding revelation. Well, what is it?" one of the refugees, the Kar'zun from earlier, asked.
"It is two-fold. Firstly, the epicentre is surrounded by multiple anomalies. These are the products of tears in the space-time continuum," she paused to see if anyone understood what she meant.
"Speak Eldarai," Ashana growled impatiently.
Yohara sighed. "In basic, the time spent in the warp has produced tears in the fabric of reality. These are hot spots where the barrier between this world and the realm humans mistakenly call the Netherworld is particularly weak. Not enough to form a portal, but sufficient to violate the laws of physics and warp reality. I draw your attention to this map." Various spots had been marked on it. "Based on my analysis of energy surges across Santaissa, these anomalies are expanding. Therein lies the second problem. The epicentre possesses the highest concentration of Nether energy. I've cross-referenced the data with that of known Netherworld rifts. It is about the same amount."
"In short, if we linger, we'll perish anyway. And if we go there, we could end up being pulled into the darkness," Siona clarified. She tried hard to suppress the worried expression on her face. She glanced towards Ashana.
"Essentially, yes," Yohara admitted with a sigh.
"Been there, done that, came back. I prefer to get dragged back fighting than cowering and waiting for my doom." she said firmly, trying to put on a brave front.
Kaida was as always focused on the practical question of execution. Someone had to be. If she looked back, if she doubted herself, she was lost. "How do we shut the field down?"

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Yohara theatrically looked down at her notes. She didn’t need to as she remembered everything she needed to, but it drew out the silence and made everyone pay attention to her.
“Shutting down the field is not practical in the long term. The Nether energies are a fascinating manifestation of the Sciia, but they are also pervasive. However, I feel that we can nullify them for a period of time long enough for us and our exiled…compatriots…to leave this world.”
Ashana leaned forward, putting her hands on the table. “You ‘feel’ we can? So you don’t know?”
Yohara sighed, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from her immaculate jacket. “Nothing is certain, young Ashana, except perhaps the argumentative nature of our kindreds. Would you rather I lie and promise? We are in an uncertain situation and this is a case where I am working with what I have.”
Eyrecae re-entered at this moment with the gear.
“Ah, here we go, the Harmonic Resonator will assist us, I feel.” She offered no further explanation.

Morwen looked around. “Well, we have a plan, such as it is. I will dispatch my people to gather here. See to it you do not ‘forget’ to give us notice of departure.” She looked to the Kar’zun. “Mrak’vhar, gather all of your kin to this place. We do not have long, so gather all you can.”
“I will see to it. We will move quickly.”
Morwen gave orders to some of her Forsaken to spread the message far and wide.

Eyrecae was left looking over the map. She traced out the path they’d need to take. “What is this?” she asked, pointing.
A glance from Siona. “Crashed Star Destroyer from the battle with the monkeigh. The ‘great saviour’ Kerrigan made it crash.”
“Impressive…” Eyrecae said thoughtfully.
Siona just snorted and looked away.
Ashana was left with her to stare at the map.
“It looks that this will be a dangerous and most difficult expedition,” Eyrecae said conversationally.
“Good,” Ashana grunted and looked away. Joining Siona she headed for the exit.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

For just a moment, Kaida gazed after Ashana...Lavina when she departed with Siona. It set her teeth on edge. The feral woman was her sister. She knew it in her bones. But she did not recognise her. All she saw in her eyes was rejection and scorn. But then Kaida had given up on her. When Lavina had stopped returning her calls during the Netherworld Event, Kaida had tried to go after her. But obstacles had always arisen. Aeda had been raptured, as had most other senior officers. For a while, Kaida had had to lead the Angelii until their chief returned.

She'd wanted to go after Lavina after the situation had stabilised. But then she'd learned of Kaeshana's imminent doom. Once that bombshell had been dropped on her, it had boiled down to one question: was her sister more important than the fate of her people? When all enquiries proved to be in vain, she had mourned her - and kept her emotions bottled up.

She had found solace with Coryth, until that relationship had gone up in smoke. Just like Santaissa when it was consumed by a huge fireball. Now Lavina was here, and yet so far, hanging out with an Illyrian cultist of all people. So Kaida let them go, ground her teeth, and focused on her duty.

"That toy better have a point," she grunted, indicating the Harmonic Resonator Yohara would not shut up about. "See if you can get your hands on any gear that's useful against spirits. Electrical weapons, Sciiac imbued stuff," she ordered Eyrecae. She would make sure her team was prepared. Even the rag-tag gang of Forsaken.

xxx

While Morwen and Mrak’vhar got their people organised, Tryana had gone outside. It was hard to tell whether it was night or day. Indeed, she got the impression that it was always dark on this strange planet. The call of the spirits could still be heard, but it was muffled and faint. The large crystal loomed menacingly in the background, bristling with energy. Telara had said that the life force of the dead was trapped inside it. She hoped that it was not true, but knew in her heart of hearts it was.

She wanted to offer a prayer for them...but what would it help? Perhaps the spirits did not care, for surely whatever the trapped had done could not merit such a fate. She had no answer for this. So she trained instead, pushing her body through a series of drills. Her tomahawk and short sword struck invisible opponents with relentless precision.

"You know that whole last minute before walking into hell training thing," Telara suddenly spoke up from behind, causing Tryana to spin. Luckily, she did not strike her. "Never works."
Taking a breath, Tryana lowered her weapons. "It helps me focus," she said simply.
"Or escape," Telara said knowingly, shrugging. "I know the feeling. Nervous?"
Tryana felt like denying it at first. "Life in Yarkul was not easy. We faced menaces within and without. But I always had the certainty the spirits were with me, even when it was dire. But here all I see is a cold void."
"This place is death. See now why I didn't want to come here?"
"I do," Tryana affirmed, looking thoughtful. "I was too caught up in my own views to see what it means to you."
"Happens. All we can do now is go on this damn quest and hope we don't get swallowed up, right?" Telara retrieved a flask from her backpack and took a swig at it, then offered it to Tryana.
The Vashyada drank from it. "Yes, and help our people escape this hell."
"Still the idealist, huh?"
"'Or a realist. This universe is a wilderness filled with predators, and we only have each other. The lone huntress dies, but the pack survives'," Tryana quoted. "It's a Vash saying. Out in the wilderness, we only have ourselves. We quarrel, we fight...but when we are menaced, we stick together."
"And many of those predators are our own people," Telara retorted. There was a note of challenge in her tone. "You've been a couple months with the Shadows and less than an hour on Kaeshana, and you think you've got it all figured out? You don't know this place, us or me. You just know...."
"The fores?" Tryana's tone had become sharper.
Telara was taken aback. "I didn't mean it like that..."
"You're right. I grew up in Yarkul, far away from all this technology and your wars. But I'm no fool. Maybe it allows me to see some things clearer."
"Then don't expect everything to work the way it did in Yarkul. If it was so great there, you would not not have left."
"No...but you grew up here, did you not? You've suffered. So have the Forsaken. You both just want the same thing. Maybe if we talked to them, we'd find the are not so different from us." The Vashyada shook her head. "The Forsaken are bitter and angry, Kaida is a glacier and simply staring into Siona's aura disturbs me. Yet I would not want them to come to harm, or leave them here if I could help it. Do you?"
Something very scatological was on the Eldorai's tongue. Her eyes were cold and hard. "No, I wouldn't," Telara responded coldly. "Nor do I want to rot here and get stabbed in the back because I'm so foolish to think that us having the same blood and pointed ears means anything."
"And if someone plays me false, my knife will be swift ."
"It better be. Whatever. Time to go to hell."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]

“Everything has a point, Ms Taldir. This one, I feel, will have even more of a point soon.” Yohara soon was busy with other preparations. “Hmm, see if you can get some form of conveyance for the Resonator. I think Eyrecae has better things to do than carry it, she can protect it.”
“Is this a license to protect the device over you? Surely this is too good to be true, my Lady,” Eyrecae said jokingly.
“Unless you feel you can operate the device without hitting it with that butcher’s blade you would do wise to protect both,”: Yohara said primly.

Eyrecae wandered out and set about organising the items requested. However, she had some ideas of her own. Heading through the shattered hotel she sought out the group’s stores. When she found it a one legged Eldorai and a grizzled Kar’zun were standing guard.
“You are one of the offworlders Morwen mentioned,” the Eldorai stated flatly.
“I am, as you have gathered, recently arrived. I am, in truth, of Kaeshana, but it has been a long time since I have returned.”
“Fun reunion?” the Eldorai asked with a snort.
“Perhaps not fun, but certainly interesting. Regardless, I am seeking if you have any of one particular item. Have you within any of those crystals seen outside, cut to size?”
“We have some,” the Kar’zun rumbled. “When we need to clear ground we move the smaller ones here. Why?”
“It occurs to me that they might be of some use for our expedition. May I?”
“Wait here. Krag?” the Eldorai said to the Kar’zun. They reluctantly got up and headed inside a store room, eventually returning with some of the crystals held in a battered metal case.
“My thanks.”
“There’s a lot of Sciiac energy in them. Be careful.”
“Fear not, I know caution.”
The Eldorai looked dubious but shrugged.

Time passed, and soon they would be ready to proceed towards their destination. Soon all were assembled and equipped. Eyrecae added the metal box to the grav-trolley the Resonator was seated on.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

And so the rag-tag band had assembled. It was a motley crew. Clearly this was the moment for a motivational speech. After all, they were marching straight into hell itself. No better moment to inspire her fellow elves. Kaida was not the type. In her opinion, if people needed a speech to remind them of the stakes they were as good as dead anyway.
"We got one chance to get off this rock," she said simply when she looked over her crew. "Don't waste it. Keep your wits up. Tryana, you take point." The Vashyada was the stealthiest, after all.

"Eyrecae, guard Yohara. La...Ashana, kill anything hostile that gets close to us or the Forsaken. Siona, help her...and if anyone shows signs of going mental, knock them out."
"You bet. I'll make sure you don't go mad from spirits," Siona could not resist getting a jab in.
Kaida did not rise to it. "Telara, stay out of sight, strike stealthily where there's an opening, watch the rear."
She could see that Morwen's people were about to move. It was a mixture of Kar'zun and Eldorai. Some of the latter looked very young. Many bore the scars of their long confinement to hell. She gave the Dark Eldorai a curt nod and walked up to Telara.
"Hey," the younger elf, who was also a good deal shorter than the former Angelii said. "You're not about to get sentimental and hug me, right? Just because we're walking into hell and all that."
Kaida figured it was her nerves talking. "No," she responded flatly. She reached to her belt and produced a knife. A faint Sciiac aura surrounded it. She had taken the weapon from the corpse of a Qadiri knight. She held out the hilt to the girl. "Normal steel won't work on spirits. This is enchanted. If ghosts or abominations grab you..."
"Stick 'em with the pointy end," Telara finished for her, taking the proffered knife.
Kaida gave her a look, looking her right in the eyes. No words were spoken. Then she turned away. "Let's move."

Lightning flashed ahead of them. The sky above was crimson. "Blessed Illyria, Lady of Shadows, we call for your strength," Siona chanted softly as she walked with Ashana. Some of the Forsaken joined her. "Blessed Illyria, allow us to bring the darkness upon our foes. Blessed Illyria, bring us to your side should we fall."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
As they progressed through the blasted waste they started to see the occasional flicker of movement, the odd distortion. At least, the non-Harbingers would see it.

Tryana, ranging ahead of the group, stopped and held up her hand at an overlook. She peered down an embankment and saw something decidedly odd; a formation of armoured humans. She had never seen them, but she knew from the records that these were First Order stormtroopers. They were lined up on parade formation.
Tryana remembered well that there might be illusions so she picked up a stone and flicked it down. As she half expected it passed through the spectral troopers who faded away to nothing.

Despite having a hover trolley the rough ground meant that Eyrecae was often employed to lift the cursed harmonic resonator over bumps. Of course Yohara always had a critique about how she was doing it.
“Careful, you musclebound brawler! Even the slightest jolt might require me to recalibrate the focusing lasers.”
Eyrecae considered dropping it on her head, but decided against it. Yohara was annoying but she was probably essential to the mission.

As they passed closer to the hills overlooking Kaeshana they started to hear a low sound – even the Harbingers. It started low but rose in tone as they got closer. It was not long before they could start to discern words. Ominous words.

“Ashira, Great Goddess and bringer of Light,
From the darkness we cry to you, oh lady of Light,
Let our deeds redeem our sins, let the deaths of the faithless redeem our debt,
Great Ashira, let us come to your light, we the faithful stand by your name.
Ashira…give us strength…and welcome the glorious dead to you!

That was not a heartening sign, and suddenly the party was being assailed by crazed Eldorai from all sides. Many wore the remnants of white robes, others carried blades and mauls and were adorned with religious artefacts and talismans. Reckless and frenzied they pushed forward, all the time screaming their chant of

Ashira…give us strength…and welcome the glorious dead to you!

Tryana had not missed this though and had called before they even appeared, “Ambush, 4 sides, melee and spirits!”

Eyrecae unsheathed her sword and grinned. This was more like it!

Needless to say Ashana was also ready, and annihilated the first zealot who charged her with such a blast of fire that only ash remained. Then she drew her blades and charged with as much fervour as her enemies.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

“Ashira, Great Goddess and bringer of Light,
From the darkness we cry to you, oh lady of Light,
Let our deeds redeem our sins, let the deaths of the faithless redeem our debt,
Great Ashira, let us come to your light, we the faithful stand by your name.
Ashira…give us strength…and welcome the glorious dead to you!"

Before the Twilight, Telara had been a servant at the beck and call of a fancy lady who lived in a mansion and never let her forget that she was a mere prole who should be grateful for the chance to clean her boots. When she saw fit to chastise her, she claimed it was the Goddess' will that she discipline a disobedient child. No lady of light had protected her from the mistress' riding crop and abominations. Or from the bandits, slavers and monkeighs in the wastes of Kaeshana. Now she was being charged by a crazed mob who thoguht the 'lady of light' would take pity on them and open the gates to heaven if only they added more Eldorai corpses to the pyre.

There were times when Telara hated her people. At other she was just tired. The sounds of battle filled the air. Heedless of the danger, the zealots charged forward, brandishing swords, maces, spears and various rifles. Kaida and Morwen wasted no time barking commands to their parties. Ashana, thoroughly disinterested in battle plans or formations, charged head-long into the fray, a blood-curdling wail escaping her throat. Her sword of light hummed as it carved through zealots. Directed by Morwen and Kaida, the Dark Eldorai assumed formation to cover themselves from the horde that seemed to be charging from all sides.

Morwen had grabbed two disruptor pistols and was firing into the fray, Kaida blocked or bashed with her shield and slew with her lightsabre. Telara heard an enraged scream when Siona's amphistaff spat venom right into the eyes of a fanatic. Kar'zun wielded their shotguns as clubs up close, and sometimes stomped on foes. Tryana was dual-wielding her short sword and tomahawk, moving with a grace that made Telara jealous. Telara kept her head down as slugs shot through the air. Her heart thumped inside her chest as she sought cover behind some rocks. Battle raged around her. The girl was small and not particularly strong. She had acquired survival skills, but was no veteran of great battles. Nor was her Sciia strong.

But she could not,

and would not,

hide from some mob of hypocrites.

All her life she had been put down,

and belittled.

Picking up a rock, she smashed the skull of a wounded Ashiran zealot with it. Then she flung it towards an Ashiran whose back was turned to her. She thrust her dagger into her fallen foe's throat. When it came back, the blade was coated with blood. An explosion rattled her and she was forced to scramble, crawling away as it thundered in her ears. Kaida was up ahead, fending off attacks from several foes.

Her lightsabre clove a zealot from shoulder to belly, then she used her shield to stomp on an enemy's foo and thrust the tip of her blade through their neck while they were reeling. However, a robed zealot with a maul engaged her. Swung at rapid velocities, the war hammer shattered her shield and hit her with such force Telara heard the crack resound in her ears. Telara did not like Kaida. The former Angelii had the personality of a glacier. She was cold, dismissive and she had been a royalist. Still, she was her teacher. The girl had already lost one to this blasted wasteland. She poured her Sciia into her muscles, and picked up the pace, bolting. Her ears rang from a detonation, but she ran nonetheless.

Her short sword tasted the blood and flesh of the zealot when Telara sliced into her leg. The fanatic cried out and stumbled. The hammer fell out of her grasp. In her fury she projected fire in all directions. Flames singed Telara when she ducked, blazing heat washing over her. Then there was icy water and the fire was gone. The zealot's head had been separated from her body. Kaida stood above her. Her armour was smoking. For a moment the two looked at each other. Then Kaida suddenly spun her sabre as blaster bolts came shooting towards them, deflecting them away as well as she could with an injured arm. Bolts of lightning shrieked from Telara's hands.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
The melee was ferocious and confused. Yohara, for all her faults, was no coward, and had taken cover behind her trolley and drawn her blaster pistol. As one of the fanatics came forward she aimed carefully as they charged recklessly at her, and fired when they were no more than 10 paces away. The blaster bolt tore away a good portion of the woman’s throat and she dropped to the ground.

Eyrecae meanwhile was trying to cover Yohara’s other side whilst faced with several lunatic Eldorai. Fortunately…and unfortunately…their ferocity outweighed all caution. All three of her opponents charged at once with their blades swinging, allowing Eyrecae to duck aside as they tangled up with each other. They recovered quickly though and attacked again, and Eyrecae could not dodge without opening up Yohara’s back.
Thus pressed Eyrecae gritted her eyes and took it. A maul hit her in the leg, a blade cut across her chest armour and she parried the third blade. Angry, and in pain, she punched one in the face so hard she felt bones break. With her other hand she hacked down the hammerer. The last showed no doubts and came again, but Eyrecae’s easy manner had changed to her war face and she took a slash to her armour and then cut her enemy down. The stunned fanatic was easily finished off by a sword thrust.

Ashana meanwhile had waded into her enemies. Fire surrounded her, and anyone who approached had to fight stifling heat and burning emanations as much as Ashana’s whirling blade. Several tried and failed to approach her…until a more imposing and better armoured Ashiran approached her. She too was wreathed in flame, so as they clashed the fire spun around them like a tempest.

Getting angrier and angrier as the battle continued, especially as her enemy was a more practiced duellist, Ashana threw herself at her opponent, locking blades with them. However, the Ashiran had a concealed blade and stabbed up into her torso, the blade being slowed enough to prevent it being serious by the armour. However, that final pain sent Ashana over the edge and she let loose a roaring scream so powerful it shattered her opponent’s delicate eardrums and overloaded her head with pain. Seizing up her weapon Ashana hacked her opponent to bloody pieces on the ground, not stopping until only a charred butcher’s mess remained.

Fortunately the fanatics had been seen off, and it was time to take stock.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

The battle was fast, furious and confused. Again and again, the zealots charged. Kaida battled them with her lightsabre, reflecting blaster bolts back to their shooters or cutting down attackers with precise, surgical cuts and stabs. But even she was showing signs of strain. Tryana did her part trying to hold the mob at bay, wielding both her tomahawk and her short sword. Both glowed with the power of the Force as its energies were channelled through it. When a powerful sword blow knocked her blade out of her hand, she channelled intense light.

Siona fought grimly. She was not afflicted by the curse the Sciians mistakenly called a blessing. She had her own gifts. She would not take orders from the royalist butcher. When the Angelii made suggestions, she would consider them. If they were sensible, she might follow them. Right now she was busy fighting Ashirans. Ashana had charged right into the fray, as was her norm. Siona had followed more prudently, trying to cover her flank, amphistaff coiled around her wrist like a snake. During Ashana's spirited charge, she spied a fanatic who was getting close to her. Grimly, she raised her arm. The amphistaff straightened, and morphed into what resembled a spear-like weapon. The Harbinger hurled the amphistaff as if it were a javelin. A sharp cry emanated from the fanatic when the weapon pierced her abdomen.

As the zealot tumbled, Siona rushed towards her. The amphistaff's head had pivoted inside her foe's stomach. The Ashiran tried to hammer the but into the ground. The venom was starting to take effect. She was in the throes agony. "Ashira...," the zealot did not get further because Siona ripped her throat away with a vibro-dagger, giving her the gift of death. But in the same instance as her claws tore into flesh and drew blood, something cylindrical hit the ground. Her sensitive hearing allowed her to hear it.

Grabbing the amphistaff, she leapt for cover. Just in time. There was a shower of shrapnel. She winced in pain, as a piece burnt her armpit. The noise of the explosion thundered in her eardrums and wracked her head with pain. Her staff was buried beneath some rubble. As she lay there, foes closed in. Firing from cover, Morwen double-tapped two zealots closing in on the disorientated Harbinger. A third got close enough before she could reach for her blade. Something stirred inside Siona and she rolled out of the way to avoid a sword that swept towards her.

The sword struck the ground instead of cleaving through her, but when she rose her face was meet by the Ashiran's boot. Her head exploded in pain and she stumbled, taking a cut to the knee. The Ashiran raised her blade, but as she launched her downward chop, Siona suddenly rushed her and hit the flat of it with her gauntleted hand, deflecting the blade to her enemy's left so it crossed her body. There was pain, but she entered a range too short for her foe to use her sword. Swiftly, she jabbed a claw into one of her foe's eyes. The Ashiran dropped the sword, and screamed. But the crusader had been carrying a concealed knife. It pierced Siona's abdomen, having struck a gap inside her armour plating. Blood seeped out of the wound. Angry and in pain, Siona bit the Eldorai's nose off. In response, the Eldorai tried to drive the blade in deeper. In pain, Siona threw a punch, and the fanatic tumbled, as Siona's amphistaff appeared beneath her, wrapping itself around the legs of its mistress' foe. Panting and bleeding, Siona yanked the blade out of her abdomen. Her snake had coiled around her foe's legs, pinning the Ashiran down. There was a scream when the amphistaff spewed venom. One of Siona's hands clutched her wound, the other slashed, and her opponent stopped moving.

Rather then charge ahead, Morwen had tried to find some cover and fire her blasters. Here she could no longer count on her Sciia. The Harbingers and their puppet church, the so-called Emissaries of Illyria, would have told her that this was a blessing. She was in no mood to rejoice about losing an advantage that could mean the difference between life and death. Raising her guns, she fired a barrage of bolts into zealots. But from the flanks, two Ashiran fanatics came at her. Reacting quickly, the Illyrian insurgent dodged the stroke of a vibrosword, ducking under it. Squeezing the trigger, Morwen fired both of her pistols point blank into the plate of armour covering the chest of one of the zealots. The blaster caused scorch marks, and the disruptor pistol put a hole right in her foe's chest. The other zealot sliced into her shoulder.

Morwen howled in pain, dropping one pistol. But she held her disruptor firmly and jammed it into her foe's face. The shot disintegrated the Ashiran's mask and a good portion of her face. Cradling her left arm, she tried to catch her breath. One of the zealots who had been ignited by Ashana's pyromancy ran towards her, still burning from the flames. Morwen stepped back, fired, but some rocks caused her to stumble and she fell hard. The burning zealot let out a last howl and fell mortally wounded, landing on top of her. Pain, fear and anger shot through her and she pushed the body off, then rolled across the ground as she tried to put out the flames that had leapt over to her. Then suddenly she was dosed with very cold water. Looking up, she saw Kaida up ahead, deflecting blaster bolts with her lightsabre.

Then from out of the smoke, a bolt flew and slammed into Kaida. Her armour sizzled and she fell backward. Following the trajectory of the shot, Morwen removed a frag grenade from her bandolier, pulled the pin, counted and flung it with all her might. Shrapnel tore through the air with blast and heat. Boom. “Hellbreakers, advance! Kill them!“ Morwen yelled to make herself heard amidst the noise of battle, grabbing a discarded, blood-stained vibrosword. She parried a stabbing thrust towards her heart, throwing a crusader off-balance. She riposted, cutting her opponent down. The zealot fell, but then she narrowly ducked under a powerful cut. She avoided losing her head, but a powerful kick to the knee caused her to reel in pain. It was a struggle to parry the next blow. Her opponent was stronger, she had an injured shoulder and was in pain.

A hammering blow almost wrenched the weapon from her grasp. Their swords clashed, and momentarily locked. Gritting her teeth as her foe intensified the pressure, she knew she could not overpower her foe and win a contest of physical force. Instead she swiftly ran her blade down the length of her enemy's, and cut through her hand. There was a cry, and she thrust her weapon through her opponent's gorget. The Ashiran gurgled as blood flowed down the front of her cuirass.

The Hellbreakers rallied, meeting the reeling Ashiran zealots. Mrak’vhar, one of the Kar'zun, simply lifted one of the Ashirans and threw the enemy to the ground with such force it broke her back, before smashing the skull of one another with a war hammer. The charge was aided by a telekinetic blast from Tryana, which sent a few foes sprawling when it slammed into them, and Kaida, whose lightsabre hummed as it cut through flesh. Finally, the fanatics yielded and retreated into the shadows.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
It was over quickly, but the result was carnage feeding more blood to the ochre coloured soil of Kaeshana. Much blood had been spilled on this world for generations, and this battle left even more of the failing kindred dead on the ground.

Eyrecae tore a dirty robe from a corpse and cleaned her blade. As she did though she heard a cough, a bubbling attempt to breathe.
Heading over a small depression she found the broken Eldorai the Kar’zun had cracked like a ragdoll. The dirty Eldorai’s eyes looked up at Eyrecae in pain and fear, but also loathing.

“Ashira, Great Goddess and bringer of Light, From the darkness we cry to you, oh lady of Light,” the woman muttered to herself.

Eyrecae looked down on the dying woman with utter confusion.
“Think you Ashira would approve of this insanity?”

“Let our deeds redeem our sins, let the deaths of the faithless redeem our debt,” the woman continued, as if Eyrecae was not even there.

“Had you come to us we might have been able to take you from this place, help you. Wherefor does your quest end?”

“Great Ashira, let us come to your light, we the faithful stand by your name.”

Eyrecae saw she was getting nowhere. The woman lying before her was not even focused on her, was looking to some golden future she could not see. Eyrecae hesitated. To kill a wounded prisoner was not honourable, especially when they would die anyway. However, it would likely take her long, agonising hours to expire, perhaps being eaten alive by the feral beasts which now roamed the world.
“Wish you death, or to wait for your comrades?”

Ashira…give us strength…and welcome the glorious dead to you….” The look on the Forsaken’s face was twisted in pain. Her eyes closed and opened. “Send me to my Lady, if it is the only good deed you do, heretic.”

Eyrecae sighed, drew her sword and placed it at the woman’s throat. As much as she could the Forsaken nodded, and Eyrecae pushed. There was brief gurgling, then silence. More blood flowed to the hungry earth.

Cleaning her sword once more Eyrecae headed back to the party with a troubled look.

“Ah, there you are. We’d best get moving. Clear the path if you would,” Yohara ordered.

Eyrecae glanced at the Eldorai, then nodded. “She never wanted this…the veneration, the faith. No, ‘tis not true, she did, though in fact only for her alone. She desired not a cult for herself, to be some eternal mandate.”

“Who?” Yohara asked, puzzled, looking up from her pistol which she was meticulously cleaning and stowing.

There was no answer, Eyrecae had already moved on, pulling side the corpses and piling them into a dreadful mound.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

"Our true creators made us in their image," Kaida suddenly spoke quietly, having appeared at Eyrecae's side. Both of them knew who they were referring to. Her armour was splattered with blood. Her shoulder still hurt. Thunder roared overhead, and lightning flashed. The sky was as blood-red as the corpse-strewn ground. "Cruel, smug, stupid. Sometimes I feel like lifting the veil. Not like we can sink any further," she muttered. She sounded weary of it all. Without a further word, she started pulling bodies away.

Meanwhile, Tryana bent down before Siona, who was clutching her stomach wound. "Let me help you."
"Your sorcery won't have any effect on me," the Harbinger said stubbornly. "And if it did, I'd say no."
Tryana looked a bit hurt, but was undeterred. "And die on principle?" she asked rhetorically. "Fortunately, I have other ways."
"She's trying to sodding help," Telara snapped caustically. "Show some gratitude."
Something scatological was on Siona's lips, but then she winced in pain. "Fine."
Without further ado, the Vash removed the plating with Siona's help and then started to field dress her wound. There was only so much she could do given the circumstances, but it should keep her from dripping blood while walking.

Some of the Forsaken joined Eyrecae and Kaida to clear the path by moving bodies out of the way. Others were busy stripping the corpses of weapons of ammunition. "Great Ashira, let us come to your light...Heavenly Mother, we..." one of the wounded, dying faithful chanted quietly, coughing up blood.
"She's not listening, y'know," Morwen interrupted her as she stepped forward, standing over the body.
"Be gone, demon-worshipper," the crusader hissed. "This is your doing. You - the idolators, the monkeighs and the demon-worshippers - you brought her wroth down upon us." Then she cried out in pain when Morwen dug her boot into her stomach wound.
"Let's say that's true. The Great Goddess has forsaken us because we stopped being obedient little drones," Morwen all but spat the words. Anger rose inside her like bile. "She let all this happen. She sent us to hell. Even the children and unborn babies. You know what such a Goddess is worth?"
"I will not listen to your blasphemies. Send me to my Lady. Hellfire awaits..."
"Nothing. There's no heaven. Just oblivion. Say hello to Illyria for me." Morwen took the woman's ammo, a flask and collected a dagger from a nearby corpse, then walked away, without granting her the mercy of a quick death. "Let's get ready to move, people."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae lifted her head slightly, glanced at Kaida.
“We are not pre-destined to follow them though. We can do better. I think the time is very near to shatter that illusion, Kaida,” Eyrecae replied just as quietly, her words precise and in a normal tone.
The moment passed though and Eyrecae sighed and started hauling bodies aside once more.
“Think you that these zealots would ever accept reason?” she asked louder so more could hear them, her usual tone and flowery speech back. “Would that they might, they might actually leave this world rather than nurse their hatred.”

The trek continued upwards. The air was getting warmer and tingled like static electricity. Tryana was ranging ahead, but had been assigned Ashana as her aide/minder. The Eldorai was tough and quiet enough, but every footstep sounded like a drum beat to Tryana as she moved silently over the ground.

The party was still lagging behind when Tryana came to a bluff and looked ahead. To her surprise, her keen ears picked up the sounds of fighting.
“Perhaps more of those zealots?” she whispered, looking through some macro-binoculars. The reality was more surprising. She saw Eldorai alright, but they seemed to be fighting beasts of some form, twisted versions of Kaeshana wildlife.
Tryana produced her rifle. It was a long distance, but there was one particular beast which looked like descriptions of a Rancor…but twisted and mutated.
“Get the others, they may know who these people are. I will ready my shot.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

There was, of course, no chance that revealing the truth would not simply spawn a new series of cults, heresies and religious wars. None at all. For her part, Kaida was getting tired of keeping it to herself. Regardless, the trek continued. Eventually Tryana and Ashana happened upon what seemed to be a group of Eldorai...and Kar'zun, fighting savage beasts.

Some of the beasts looked like mutated Rancors, others like Jesters that had swelled in size as well as appetites. Ashana felt the battle-lust rising inside her. Her hand was on her blade. She grunted something in response to Tryana. "Leave some for me," she growled and stalked away.

Up ahead, Tryana would see fighting. The mutated Rancor charged, every footstep like a tremendous drum beat that caused the earth to shake. Even by the standards of Rancors, the beast was huge. It also had two heads, each of them with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Fighters were tossed hither and zither by it. An Eldorai who was knocked to the ground was grabbed by the beast's huge paw.

One of the Eldorai warriors, who was using her twin Sarixi to carve her way through smaller beasts in a relentless shower of blood and gore, sprinted. Leaping through the air, she managed to get on top of the Rancor's back. Acquiring solid purchase on the beast, she stabbed it. The beast roared and tried to shake her off, then finally managed to grab her and throw her down. Rolling, she narrowly avoided being squashed, and flung an incendiary grenade in the path of the beast's foot. Boom. The grenade exploded with blast and heat.

A grizzled Kar'zun warrior, old beyond reckoning, stepped before the beast. He wielded a massive shotgun. It was loud enough to rival a cannon. A strange glow emanated from it. Moreover, it caused the Rancor to ignite. The beast roared in pain, dropping its Eldorai prey to the ground with a loud thud, and charged. Undaunted, the Kar'zun fired another round into its bloated stomach, causing the beast to stumble.

Meanwhile, Ashana had reached the rest of the group. "Anything?" Kaida asked, or rather demanded because asking was not a frost elf thing to do. Certainly not politely. They were on the clock, anyway.
"Beasts. Eldorai and Kar'zun fighting them," Ashana grunted. "Follow me."
When they had finally caught up with Tryana, Morwen took out her binoculars. "I know 'em. That's the Harrowed."
"Friend or foe?" Telara asked quietly.
"Crazy. Not too bad if you don't piss 'em off."
"Lovely."
"Get in ambush positions to target the beasts. Fire when ready," Kaida ordered her squad. Their mission was to save Forsaken, if possible. She would abide by it. Telara looked like she was about to open her mouth and contradict her, then thought better of it.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
The group took position. Tryana especially took careful aim with the longrifle she had and at the right moment…fired.
The bolt hit the massive beast right in the eye, even as it was dealing with the Eldorai and Kar’zun. The beast reared, allowing the Kar’zun to fire a final round into its gullet, finally ending the beast’s life.

The others in the group opened fire whilst Eyrecae drew her blade and strolled forward. When a beast came loping towards her, claws out she hurled her sword, the blade embedding into its flesh. Holding out her hand as she ran the blade snapped back into it, and she dispatched the wounded monster with a powerful stab to the neck.

Ashana was suddenly beside her, axes whirling as she hacked a mutated hound-like creature to pieces, not stopping until it was a butcher’s mess.

The sudden onslaught tipped the favour against the beasts, and the remainder fled.

That left Eyrecae and Ashana facing the Harrowed alone. Eyrecae sheathed her sword though and held up a hand.

“We mean you no harm. A parley, perhaps, might spare us any dangerous misunderstandings. We are from off-world, heading to the anomaly yonder.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

Slug rounds and blaster bolts tore through the air. Tryana had taken careful aim, and let loose a hypervelocity slug round. Propelled through the air at a speed faster than sound, the slug tore through the massive rancor's eye. The beast roared. Its howl was powerful enough to make the air twist in strange shapes.

Then it fell silent forever when the Kar'zun blasted it in its gullet. Morwen's crew and Kaida's people peppered the beasts with fire. Tryana took careful aim. Her rate of fire was slow, but she was precise. A slug round tore through the skull of what looked like a giant, mutated Jester. Siona did not rush in after Ashana, but provided covering fire with an assault rifle.

With the beasts caught on two sides, the Harrowed charged them. The Eldorai warrior who had been riding the now dead Rancor got to her feet, blades in hand. There was a look of deceptive calm of her face as she sliced her way through beasts. Hacking or pushing the legs of a giant spider aside, she ducked under a powerful swing, and thrust one of her blades into the beast's soft underbelly. Then she clove through its skull. Her blade almost clashed with Eyrecae's before she lowered it. Her Sarixi were coated in black ichor.

Then it was all over, and the beasts had fled. “The ghost talks. It wants to 'parley',“ the Sarixi wielding Harrowed said. Her face was serene, and splattered with blood. “Perhaps it does not know it is a ghost. Perhaps it is a mirage. Perhaps we should...test it and see what songs it sings then.“ She said the words 'test it' very clinically.

“You're a very weird looking ghost, a funny talking one, too,“ the Kar'zun spoke, scrutinising Eyrecae. His massive shotgun was still in hand. “But you're not like any other Eldorai I've seen. I have seen many Eldorai...many. 785, 519 Eldorai. No, that is too many. Hmm...if you are a ghost you must be gone from the ancient days. Yes! I will name you...Tarissane. Yes. What do you want, ghost of the past?“

“If you want to chat, speak plain and don't waste our time,“ a third voice interjected. This one belonged to another Eldorai female. Her tone was abrasive, but more normal than that of her compatriots. She carried a rifle. “And prove you're not a ghost or a mutant.“ She retrieved a dagger from her belt and handed it to Eyrecae. “Couple drops of blood.“

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae looked from one to the other of the three of them. Morwen hadn’t been lying about a streak of insanity. She took the knife, then frowned.
“Ah, well, you see…” she looked around. “Tryana, can you come here a moment please?”
“Are you hiding something from us? We do not like secrets. Secrets must be revealed and…picked apart.” There was a certain way the Sarix wielder used normal words which made them seem much more unpleasant.
“You called?” Tryana asked, sliding up a little awkwardly.
“Can I get some blood from you? Just a few drops?”
“Why do you want my blood? Why not yours?”
“Long story, but mine won’t work, it tends to turn to ash upon the wind ere a minute is gone.”
“Well…alright.” The Vash removed a gauntlet and allowed the knife to nick her hand, not wincing as some drops kissed the blade.

The last of the Harrowed seized the blade and examined it, then passed it to the Kar’zun, who grunted. The Sarix user licked the blood off.
“Yes, yes, living blood.” She glared at Eyrecae. “You though, maybe you aren’t real then!”
“Tarissane is real but shouldn’t be,” the Kar’zun said thoughtfully. “We must experiment!” His fist moved in a blur and hit Eyrecae right in the face, knocking her over.
Eyrecae got to her feet, eyes narrowed and drew her sword. The gnarled hands of the Kar’zun had drawn blood, and her cheek bruised…but then both subsided and healed.
Quite unperturbed by causing such an escalation the Kar’zun nodded. “They are real! Tarissane is one of the progenitors! Welcome back home, Tarissane!”
“My name is Eyrecae, and strike me again at your peril,” she growled.
“Eyrecae! The stones have told me about you. Yes, they tell me many things,” he rumbled to himself. He nodded quite happily and offered a stony grin.
The riflewoman looked between them and coughed. “Alright, they’re real. So no fighting. We have to be sure. There’s so many illusions and traps here. What is it you want with the anomaly?”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]

Was it madness...or insight? Perhaps a bit of both. Sometimes one could go mad from the revelation. Anyhow, Kaida stepped forward. Morwen was close by. "The next time you raise a hand against one of group will be the last time you have hands. We clear?" she stated icily, eyes on the Kar'zun and what appeared to be two his lieutenants. "I'm with the Shadows. We've figured out how to take down the field that keeps us all trapped here." Strictly speaking that was not entirely true, but she was in no mood for a lot of chatter.
"We get past the anomaly, we take it down, we leave. You in?" Morwen spoke, perhaps a bit annoyed that Kaida had managed to get a word in first.
The riflewoman glanced at Morwen, snorting. "The Maid of Anarchy, is it? You're a Shadow this week? I'd watch my back around her if I were you," she added to Kaida. "She embraces and drops causes just as quickly as our nobles prostitute themselves to the monkeighs."
Morwen bristled. "Eliyen, right? Still chasing after the Mother and hoping she'll love you if you blow up enough people for her? Or has hell knocked that out of you."
Eliyen, for that appeared to be the riflewoman's name, shrugged. "I realised she's bogus. You've yet to realise the same about yours."

"Lady Death beckons us, sisters," the Sarixi wielding woman interjected. Perhaps she was trying to defuse the situation in her own strange way. She glanced between Ashana and Kaida. "The sisters of ice and fire," she declared.
"Yes, yes, this is all very nice. Can we move on now and return to the real of relative sanity?" Yohara grumbled.
"For a change, I actually agree with the egghead," Telara muttered. "And here I thought I'd left the loony bin behind after I told Ashira's cult to sod off."
The strange cultist was undeterred. Suddenly she was in front of Telara and touched her cheek. "The lost child. I see a void in you. And in that void, eyes staring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you will shut forever."
"Back off," Telara grunted, looking very uncomfortable.
"Leave her, or you'll regret it," Kaida spoke icily. The strange Illyrian did so. Siona shot her a distasteful look. Some of us stare too deeply into the eternal abyss. The spirit's curse takes many forms, she thought to herself. "'You want off this rock, follow us. You want to rot here, fine. Either way you'll get out of my way. What are your terms for passage?" The ice lady continued.