Main Hall - Fort Pyro
Black marble streacked with red, the floor shines almost with an inner light, as you gaze through out the hall your eyes lock on the balcony and the hot air rising up from below, posably from the open caldera of the volcano. A black stone pedestal, several feet acroos, several black rods leading from it, up into the ceiling.
Contents:
Karin
Fireheart
Fireheart bows as her Elder enters the room.
Karin nods just a little, then takes a seat, seting a bloody obsidian dagger on the table, "The sacrafice was good this day."
Fireheart grins wickedly, knowing her Elder's abilitiy to make any sacrifice 'good'. "Viktiss must be pleased." She awaits nearby the orders of her Elder.
Karin nods, "Yes, he is well pleased.", she removes her blood splattered robe and hands it to you to have cleaned, "Have you heard anything new about the gryphons?"
Fireheart takes the bloody garment, handing it off in turn to a lesser priestess silently. She turns back, organizing her thoughts, "Well, it seems the Krzzn'tai have the feathered nuisances so busy that they wouldn't know what to do if Viktiss tossed them in the volcano personally. Add their petty politics between each other and I would hazard a guess that we could easily take advantage of them all."
Karin nods, idliy licking blood from her arm, there does not seem to be much, but it is all over her. "Humm, anything that they have that would be of use to us? OR that we might desire?"
Fireheart hmms, thinking. "Besides being slave labor, interesting...'toys', or new feathered cloaks...? Not much. Nothing that we can easily do without or that we already have. At least as far as I was shown. Two tribes in particular have a rather interesting animosity towards the Aldani of all people..." She leaves that sentence dangling, waiting to see how much Karin wishes to know first.
Karin scratches softly at her muzzle, lost in thought for the moment, "So...interesting.... Any indications to what might encourage their hatred of the Aldani?"
Fireheart chuckles softly, "Seems one of the Aldani had the bright idea to..oh let us say indefenitely borrow one of their precious gryphons and tried to keep her as a trophy pet. Upset them to no end. Took a while and some creative cajoling, but it sounded like gryphons from a third tribe kidnapped her and sold her off. Only reason I could find out why was that she was special. All I saw was she's an albino runt."
Karin nods, "Hummm, interesting."
Fireheart shrugs, "Other than that, I am not sure. So I went ahead and spoke to the acting leader at this tribe and they are quite interested in helping us." She snorts derisively not without a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
Karin nods, "Ahh, good, we might be able to play one off the other. How manuverable are they in the air?"
Fireheart nods, "In their own lands, I'd grudgingly have to say they are close to our equals in our own lands. But in each other's lands, we are at a loss on manueverabilty. They are also adept fighters, using what natural weapons they have and adapting to weapons meant for more appropriate hands." She clenches and unclenches her own hands at this last statement.
Karin nods, suddenly taking her blood splattered cloak from the silent priestess, motioning Fireheart to follow. "We have other matters to attend right now. There is a new one who wishes to be a priestess."
Karin goes towards the entrance hall of the Fort.
Karin has left.
Entrance Hall - Fort Pyro
A plain hall, its lack of adornment bellies its true perpose. As you enter you notice a door off to eather side of you, and a truly massive set of doors before you.
Contents:
Karin
Fireheart follows her Elder obediently outside.
Northeast Argalian Sky
Below is the western fringe of Vehrakt power, the fortress of Serpent's Kiss guarding the interface as the forts ringing the volcano to the west.
Contents:
Karin
Karin flies west.
Karin has left.
Northern Argalian Sky
The sky feels threatening here. Perhaps it's the volcano rising from the surface that projects the feeling of uneasyness, or perhaps just the knowlege that this is Vehrakt territory. Home sweet home to some, death trap to many others.
Northwest Argalian Sky
The main city of Vehrakt lies to the great volcano's west. Farther north, several forts guard the approach to the interface here. The ground is mostly forested, with occasional ranches and such.
Contents:
Karin
Karin flies down to Gateway Fort.
Karin has left.
Entrance to Gateway Fort
Having reached the end of the one road through the Bayoon forest, you find yourself at the point where the forested foothills at last give way to the towering peaks of the Kalacann mountains. The slopes of the Kalacanns provide a treacherous natural barrier of cliffs and precipices, with only the Gateway Pass serving as a literal gateway for ground traffic into the mountains themselves. And dominating the pass is the brooding edifice of Gateway Fortress. It is here that you will first encounter the classic Vehrakt architecture, fortress keeps which occupy both sides of a pass and loom over the passage through. Terraced courtyards and balconies sweep up the cliffs to either side, dug back beneath overhanging stone over centuries of occupation. Corridors and chambers are tunneled into the depths of the mountains to either side of the pass, and even cross beneath it to link both sides. In Vehrakt the pass IS the fortress. Before you are the massive gates leading into the pass, and at the far end stand their twins. The length of the pass between the gates serves as a checkpoint, a loading/unloading zone, a landing field... and if necessary, a killing ground. Welcome to Vehrakt territory.
Contents:
Karin
Archarus
Akayla
Fireheart follows her Elder silently, staying back a respectful, and safe, distance from her.
Archarus is seated solidly on a sloping of rock leading down from the two towering walls of rock, busily sharpening his knives, then his spear simply to do something worthwhile as his cold, methodical brain continues to work on the problem Zhagtin has placed before him.
Akayla lands gently in the field outside the fort. She folds her wings behind her back and looks around for someone. She was told to find the one of priestess', and it seems that she came at the right time.
Fireheart looks around, noting all present as she and the High Priestess lands. She knows what they are there for, but waits for the Elder to enlighten anyone else.
Karin nods once, glancing around breifly, then standing still in her blood splaterd cloak, she nods once to Fireheart, waiting.
Fireheart glares at Archarus and Akayla as they do not jump to attention or show the proper respect due priestesses and seriously considers 'pointing' it out to them with her spears.
Archarus raises his head as the three arrive, and simply watches for the most part, hands continuing sharpening the weaponry without the real need of guidance from his eyes. And true, he makes no shows of loyalty... but he's a Priestess-programmed weapon. None really needed, as it'd mean nothing even if he did.,/p>
Karin idly licks some of the blood splattered on her hand off, eyeing Akayla and Arch.
Fireheart notes a couple others here at Gateway who are too slow to respond to the High Priestess and herself. Gateway is severly lacking in discipline she notes.
Akayla crosses the distance between her and the priestesses, stopping a few feet before them and kneel before them. She doesn't, however, miss the cold stares that she got for being slow.
Karin nods just a little, then whispers something quickly to Fireheart, pointing to a small, but otherwise handsome male, one whos color complements her very well, then nods to Akayla.
Karin whispers "Bring that one to me tommorrow, my pleasure....."
Fireheart nods to her Elder, eyeing the male she pointed out. She sees another nearby, a dark purple male who was slow to react to Karin. She decides to have a little sport, not only for herself, but as a show to the obviously new one. She calls him near, watching as his eyes widen, either in fear or elation, it's hard to tell.
Karin returns to licking the blood from the back of her hand, watching Fireheart and how she deals with the situation.
Archarus finishes the task at hand, and watches without much apparent interest or emotion as the youth is called forward, idly resheathing his dagger and rising to his feet.
Akayla stands up as Karin nods to her. "High Priestess," she says respectfully, though the words that she was going to say seem to get caught in her throat. She backs up a bit, rather embarassed, and finally notices Archarus.
Fireheart grins wickedly as the surprised male slowly steps up to her. She glares at him, prompting a faster reaction from him. She puts a hand up to his face, cupping his cheek in her hand. She purrs at him, rubbing her hand down his neck slowly, down to the front of his chest and back up under his chin. "So beautiful." she purrs. She then steps back once, twin spears flashing suddenly from sheaths behind Fireheart's back. They crisscross so fast and suddenly, darting back and lunging in parrallel to each other, one in the heart, the other in the gut of the hopeless male. She yanks the wicked spears out, drawing guts and blood with them. She doesn't bother cleaning them off, but swings them back to sheath them as though they were never out in the first place. "So slow." she purrs.
Archarus watches the body crumple lifelessly to the ground, then idly running the Priestess's technique over in his mind for his own possible usage should a situation arise, finally giving her a nod of something akin to acknowledgement of skill.
Karin lifts a hand to shush Akayla a moment, chuckling softly as the male's blood splashes her a little, "Very good, you do Viktiss proud."
Fireheart bows her head somenly to Karin, "Thank you, Elder."
Akayla merely witnesses the violence from afar, as she has been trained to do. Once, she might have flinched, but now she knows enough not to let the sight of death get past her mental defences. Besides, she's too angry with herself for getting flustered to let much else in at the moment.
Fireheart looks aslant at the New One near the High Priestess, wondering if this is the one they came for. She clears her throat before whispering something to Karin.
You whisper "Is this the one we came to test?" to Karin.
Karin nods just once to Fireheart, "Yesss, I believe so, though we will see."
You whisper "My scouts informed me there will be an Aldani out alone near the western interface. Perhaps....?" to Karin.
Karin smiles, "Good, a good test, though one we should not let go to the best conclusion."
Karin has left.
Fireheart points at Akayla, "Follow us." is the only thing she says before taking wing after her High Priestess.
Northwest Argalian Sky
The main city of Vehrakt lies to the great volcano's west. Farther north, several forts guard the approach to the interface here. The ground is mostly forested, with occasional ranches and such.
Contents:
Karin
Akayla has arrived.
Karin flies south.
Karin has left.
Western Argalian Sky
The cities of Sithern and Light's Gate are the main features in this part of the world, besides the interface. Their roofs show easily above the trees, large tracts of cultivated land surrounding them.
Contents:
Karin
Akayla flies in from the north.
Akayla has arrived.
Karin flies down to the Western Interface.
Karin has left.
Western Interface
The shimmery gate of the portal sits to the west of the road and south of the fringes of the Bayoon Forest. To the east lies the entire sphere of Argalia. The road is a simple stone road that doesn't appear to have had much use lately.
Contents:
Karin,br>
Razi
Akayla flies down from above.
Akayla has arrived.
Razi is near the portal with another Aldani female, they seem to be simply bantering to one another as they walk.
Fireheart stays high above in the air as Karin and Akayla fly nearby. All take care to not be seen...yet.
Akayla flies after the priestesses, rather bewildered and a tad anxious. She wonders what's going on, but keeps her tongue and saves her breath for keeping up to the two other dragons.
Karin circles high above, watching.
Fireheart looks to Karin to see if the High Priestess wants her to explain or not.
Karin nods to Fireheart, "Tell her."
Razi stops as she leans over slightly to rest, the trip sapping at her strength. "Shaylarin...hold up a minute please...my side still aches, and I'd rather not get it festering up again.
Fireheart nods silently to Karin, swooping in close to Akayla. She points down to the two lone Aldani below her. "You wish to be a priestess? First, capture, or at least subdue one or both of those two. They shall be then brought back to Fort Pyro for further...testing. We will not help you. Fail and your life is forfiet. Understood?"
Razi takes a seat in some shade as her companion looks around for her 'friends' to take the guard off her hands.
Karin says, "You may use trickery or force, or a combanation of both."
Fireheart smiles, "Do you require a weapon child?"
Akayla listens intently to Fireheart's instructions. Her eyes widen as she hears the consequences of failure, but she had figured that something like that would happen. Vehrakt don't take kindly to failure, after all. "I..I understand, Priestess." she says, her voice gaining strength as her training comes back to her.
Razi rests back and closes her eyes, laying her crossbow in her lap as she takes five, Shaylarin walking away a short distance, waving a hand up in the sky at the others up above quietly.
Akayla ponders that a moment. With her life in her claws, it's not a good time to be too brash, but it would still be good to make a good impression. She holds out her claws, and slowly draws her tounge across one of them. "My training gives me all the weapons I would require, my Priestess.",/p>
Fireheart grins wickedly, nodding silently, motioning Akayla to begin. She thinks this one has potential.
Akayla bows her neck to the Priestesses and begins her descent. Her eyes flicker across the Aldani, labelling each one as prey. Hmm...One is laying down, sick, tired, perhaps? Certainly easy prey. She inclines her wings to take her to a smooth landing nearby Razi.,/p>
Razi looks up with one eye "Shay? so when do you think M'lady Brightstar will give you a promotion?"
Fireheart does not hear the conversation between the two Aldani below, but does take note of their conditions, believing Akayla to take advantage of the wounded one. So be it. She idly slings out a single spear, holding it loosely in a hand. To reward failure...or sucess.
Razi lifts her head up as the other Aldani moves away from her, not responding "Shay? where are you?"
Akayla stands straigh after landing and folds her wings slowly, almost soundlessly. Her heartrate quickens, and the warfire dances through her blood. This is what she has been training for. Her adreniline-greased muscles are in top condition, and she seems to glide up the road towards the Aldani. Her face, however, wears a coy, almost innocent expression, quite different from her feelings. Then, she sees the standing Aldani begin to move away, and her eyes widen. What luck!!
Razi turns her head to the new one moving up the road, unaware of who it might be, Razi lifts a hand and waves in greeting "Evening to you..." she states as she rests against a tree stump.
Akayla offers a silent prayer to Viktiss as she slides up next to Razi, keeping her expression warm and unusually cheery. An unwary opponent is one who can be ambushed and suprised, after all. She smiles, showing off a bit more teeth than necessary, and waves back. "Good evening, traveller." she pipes up in her uncertain adolencent voice. "Do you need some help?"
Fireheart grins, noting the Aldani mistaking Akayla for friend. What fools these Aldani be...
Karin just watches it all silently from the skies above.
Razi nods "My friend Shaylarin ...have you seen her? I call out but she doesn't answer, and it is getting rather dark."
Akayla raises her hand to shade her eyes, and looks around the landscape. "Hmm, I can't seem to see anyone here, and I sure didn't meet anyone on my way here." She lowers her hand and shrugs helplessly, then looks down towards Razi. "Hey, you don't look so good, kinda pale-like." Hey, don't overdo the kid thing, she chides herself silently.
Fireheart watches from afar, thinking that this sort of deception game can be quite amusing...perhaps she should do it more often.
Razi sighs "Just resting up before I head home in awhile...some ass shot me about a month ago...it's still quite sore."
Razi says, "My name's Razi..what's yours?"
Akayla almost laughs out loud. This one *is* injured! She quickly turns the cold smile creeping onto her face into a very forced warm smile. Still standing over Razi, she says, "I'm Kay. It's nice to meet you Razi."
Razi smiles "Nice to meet you...I don't have many friends really yet...well..one, but he doesn't like me none too much I gu...nevermind, sorry...don't mean to be a chatterbox, could you help me up?"
Fireheart has kept an eye on the wandering friend. An easy task considering the altitude she's at. Hmm, how will this one react...?
In her mind, Akayla quickly takes stock of her prey. A small sword, a quiver, and a guards tunic...Akayla has seen the purple of a Sithern guard before, perhaps too close for comfort, but she shrugs that off now. The best strategy would be a quick blow, perhaps to the legs? That would set her off balance. Akayla's reverie is interupted as you ask her for help. She smiles again and nods. "Sure, glad to be of service." But as extends her hand out to you, a cold smile spreads involuntarily across her snout.
Razi reaches her hand up to take Akayla's, grimacing as she pulls on it to assist herself in getting up.
Fireheart grins evily, watching just how trusting a fool this wounded Aldani is. Either that, or Akayla is the fool.
Akayla begins pulling Razi up, slowly at first, but at that point where one is almost totally reliant on the one pulling them up, Akayla jerks Razi's arm hard and lashes out with her tail towards Razi's ankles.
Razi gets hit in the legs unawares and is sent sprawling to the ground off to the side with a suprised yelp "Ahh! Hey!?
Akayla lets go of Razi's arm as soon as she is sure the Aldani is falling, so that she won't get pulled along with her. Then, in a practiced movement, she pounces low at Razi's back, snarling. "Oops, sorry 'bout that. Musta slipped."
Razi is starting to get herself up to her feet when you slam into her back, sending her back down into the dirt with a cry of pain as her wound gets aggravated. She struggles and squirms for a bit as she tries to roll to her left side.
Fireheart chuckles, wishing she could hear Akayla's words to the Aldani. She notices the other Aldani. She seems to actually be ignoring her companion with Akayla. Hmm...
Akayla is as ready as she can get for the struggles, though the first almost sends her off of Razi. With a growl, she clamps down on Razi's left arm, her open claws gouging through the scales. Her other hand braces her as she sits firmly on your back to try an prevent you from rolling over. She leans over towards your neck and repeats her previous words, though this time they drip with malice. "Glad to be of service."
Fireheart sees that Akayla has the wounded one under control. She notices the other blatantly walking away from the rucus caused by the two. This must be the one her scouts reported. No use not rewarding a traitor. She takes the spear she is casually holding, swopps in low and fast behind the traitorous Aldani. As Fireheart impales the Aldani from behind, she remarks maliciously, "Tag, you're it." Shay's startled cry is ripped from her lips as Fireheart's momentum carries them back up into the air before Fireheart lands, letting the slowly dying Aldani fall to the ground, spear still sticking from her back out her chest.
Razi reaches with her right arm to her sword hilt, pulling it free and thrusting upwards towards your stomach with the blade in an awkward fashion, screaming in pain as you tear into her scales.
Akayla pays no attention to the screams echoing off in the distance as she hears the 'shing' of a blade being wrenched free of its scabbard. She snakes her spine sideways, though not quick enough to avoid getting a thin wound from across her side. She snarls more in anger than from pain as a trickle of blood runs down her side. Gripping Razi's left arm all the tighter, she shoots her right arm, claws out, at the sensitive joint of Razi's right elbow.
Razi is struck in the right elbow, the blow hitting her funnybone and sends her sword falling at Akayla's side, wrenched free and defenseless now, Razi closes her eyes and lays there, waiting to die as she cries, "Why...Tal'...help m-me...why?
Karin remains in the air, grimly smiling and enjoying the sights of the fighting below. She flies off silently ahead to Fort Pyro, assured Fireheart has everything well in claw.
Fireheart chuckles evily, letting the traitor die where she is, wrenching her spear out her back, the barbs digging through, causing more agony (rather than humanely pulling it all the way through her chest). She then walks over, to inspect Akayla's progress.
Akayla smiles maliciously as Razi cries out. Ahh, to hear the piteous whimpering of prey in your claws...such is as Viktiss surely commands. With that thought, Akayla digs her claws in deeper, slowly, enjoying the sensation of blood dripping over them. She leans over Razi again and nips at the flesh behind her wings, lapping at the blood. "Because, Aldani.." she growl-purrs lowly, "Because Viktiss craves blood, and someone has to give it."
Razi lays there in a heap, unable to move as she slowly bleeds, her eyes glazed over with a look that she is already dead. "What is my crime to you?...I...I know nothing I did to h-harm *cough* you..."
Fireheart stands nearby, spear dripping blood for the second time in hours. She looks to Akayla, Razi, and the sky, judging time. "Time to go child." She tosses Akayla some rope she had looped over her shoulder, "Tie her up and bring her. She'll do for your initiation as a full Priestess of Viktiss!" She grins and laughs evily at the futher wounded Aldani at her feet.
Razi says, "Pl-please...kill me?"
Fireheart snorts at Razi's pleas. She crouches near the Aldani's face and whispers, "Soon enough....soon enough."
Razi looks at Fireheart, turning her head "Why do you hate me so?"
Fireheart turns to walk away, letting Akayla have room to tie up Razi. Over her shoulder, she answers Razi, "Because you're Aldani. No other reason than that, now is there?" She laughs, amused at her own joke.
Akayla revels in the warm saltiness, boiling like alchohol in her veins. Her eyes glaze over, but for entirely different reasons. She now sees what her warrior 'brother' had been trying to tell her all this time. Blood. Is. All. She revels in that a moment longer, and then snaps out of her trance a few seconds after Fireheart finishes talking. She grabs the rope numbly, almost unable to believe that she has passed this test. Then, with renewed determination, Akayla binds Razi up, pulling her arms backwards to tie them with her legs, a most uncomfortable position. Her wings and tail are bound in a similar fashion, and Akayla takes malicious pleasure of raking her claws across the scales just before she ties the rope around it, and letting the blood expand the ropes into a fit far tighter than she could have bound. Her job done, she chuckles at Fireheart's comment, nodding silently.
Razi coughs as she is moved and hogtied, "Wh-what the hell are you?"
Fireheart looks over Akayala's handiwork in effectively hog-tying Razi. She chuckles, "Cute." She pulls out her second spear, fitting the ends of both up under Razi's tyied limbs, telling Akayla to grab the other end. Together, they will carry the prisoner thus to Fort Pyro until needed later.
Fireheart looks at Akayla, nodding for her to answer Razi's question.
Razi sighs, trying instead a different tactic to get a rise from the smug one "Doubting yourself? You smug b*tch....I can't believe that you feel you are the 'better' ...do you also attack children and the old or feeble? Ohh *cough* yer a great "warrior" indeed...."
Akayla grips the end of the spear and slowly licks the blood off her snout. A drop of blood falls from her tongue and splats wetly by Razi's snout. "We are Tal'Vehrakt, Aldani scum, and we are servants of Viktiss." she purrs.
Fireheart turns, crouching near Razi's head. She just grins, showing many sharp fangs. She simply whispers, "Yessss..." before standing back up, ready for Akayla to go.
Razi says, "Servants of one without honor it seems..." she blurts out as she is picked up and hoisted about.
Akayla ingnores the insults being spewn and hoists up her end of the spear. As the adreniline fades from her system, it is replaced by a calm and victorious feeling.
Razi continues her spitefulness "Only stupid Vehrakts would use something as backwards and crude as a spear...get a clue and try something more effective you morons."
Fireheart looks askance at Razi, snorting and mumbling something about stupid new ones before taking wing.