The bonfire roared like a living thing. It whispered to those who could listen, even over the loud music blaring from a big old boombox. Dancers wove in and out, seeing how close they could get without being burned. Outside of the circle of light were some who preferred the darker parts of the square. The shadow men and women who met for brief moments, an exchange of something - hands, packets, lives.
Asche circled the perimeter, just watching. She nearly tripped over a spooked Garth Lowinn, still wondering how he had gotten to this place from the hospital last night. Asche sat, they watched a familiar-looking woman approach, followed by some man with unknown intentions.
The woman, Anne, was unused to the streets of New Rydynn. At the man's whispered, "You trading?" she replied, "No" and turned away, assuming that was that. It took her a few moments to realize the man was still following her. She continued to turn and tell him to go away, he continued to smirk and follow.
"Should I shoot him from here," Garth asked Acshe, "or go down there and beat him to a pulp?"
She hissed, "Pop off a round here, and the whole place'll be blazing."
He shrugged. "So, I can take them all."
"Yeah, but I don't want to have to doctor the whole place."
They were still watching the pair come closer, discussing the relative merits of the forms of violence, when a shadow detached from the others, just as the man grabbed Anne's arm. The shadow spoke, the man swung a beefy fist. The shadow intercepted the blow, breaking the man's wrist. Colin had arrived.
As had Bliss. She walked up to Asche and Garth, her greeting caught in her throat as Acshe jumped up and yelled, "Godsdammit! Don't DO that!" to a spot off to the side of Bliss. Bliss looked, not seeing anyone.
Garth laid a reasurring hand on her. "Take it easy, Asche..." She sat down again, Bliss joining her as Asche mumbled an apology. Recovering, she started grilling Bliss on the condition of her arm. As soon as she felt recovered, she took a deep breath, an apology rushing out, for opening her mouth in front of everyone at the hospital about Bliss being pregnant, forgetting that Bliss was keeping it quiet.
"It's cool, Asche..." she waved it off as they went back to watching Colin bash the smelly man who just wouldn't go away. Anne stood off to the side of the men, frozen in place.
Business again, Asche turned to Garth and asked about the torso he dragged into the hospital the night before. Softly, staring, he replied, "I was trying to save his life..."
"You didn't kill him, then." She nodded, unslinging her med-kit from her shoulder, in case Colin's "friend" noticed her UoM patches and asked for help.
Colin and Anne made their way to Asche's group, Anne to ask about her sister, CJ, Colin to report to Bliss about activity in the tunnels.
Suddenly, Garth was up, gun drawn, he dodged people as he took off toward a shadowed alley. Everyone exchanged glances, nervous, not knowing what he had sensed. To the unspoken question, Colin said, "I'll check..." and moved off after Garth.
Just ahead, Garth entered the alley just in time to see a manhole cover slide into place. Not hesitating, he ran to it and shoved it aside, gun drawn - but there was no one in sight. Colin followed cautiously, keeping his back to the walls, in case there were others in the alley. Garth, knowing before looking at the heap at the end of the alley what had happened, fired into the manhole, firing until his gun clicked empty, and continuing to fire some more. He slid to his knees, panting, recovering. Colin approached Garth. "I've been tracking some groups down there..."
"Yeah?" Garth replied, "Better watch yourself, then," he stood, holstering his gun, and walked further into the alley, "if you don't want to end up like these poor souls..." Colin followed, and at Garth's gesture saw the broken, mutilated corpses thrown in the heap of trash.
"Like a reaper," Colin observed.
"No ..." Holding up his lighter, Garth illuminated a section of the alley wall. Written in blood so fresh is was still dripping were the words: "The Sleepers awake!" There were more words in the Syrynykk tongue beneath.
Reading the 'Nykk words, Colin said softly, "Death to Humunns." Walking back out of the alley, Colin wondered aloud if that had something to do with the 'Nykk who attacked Shad.
As they got back to the fire, the three women were standing. Bliss to escort Anne to the Hospital to look for CJ, Asche off in a another direction, reluctantly, all her plans having been changed.
With a hiss and a pop sending sparks cascading into the night, the fire settled, as the streets of New Rydynn grew oddly quiet.
