In Darkest Day - 07
AverusBlack
AKA Aisling
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- Jan 26, 2019
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The voice seems to come from all around us and I have no time to process it before something strikes me, sending me flying sideways past the crowd and directly into the treeline, annihilating several trees before my momentum is lowered enough for the next one to just smash me instead. For a moment I can't breath, the wind knocked out of me.
Restore.
Firing myself off the ground I come tearing out of the trees, the cheetahs scattering in all directions as Elise is circling upwards, dodging what appears to be several Skal charging her. Dodging, weaving, smashing them away with giant green fists until one of them lands a solid punch on her and she's sent flying into the ground the way I was.
Great. Super strength shortstacks, that's just what we needed.
The ones in question attacking her are slightly different from the ones in the crowd. They look faded, drained of color, eyes almost glowing yellow. I'm not sure what the hell is going on but I don't really have time to think about it. Elise needs the support.
Blue ring, synchronize.
In progress. Symmetry established.
I come in from their left as another one of the super-cheetahs attacks her in a frothing rage, smashing it - no, her - flying into another one of the attackers.
"HERETICS! INFIDELS! YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY PEOPLE FROM ME!"
Oh, great. A soft fizzing sound and a slump behind me as a would-be sneak attacker is cut down by Emil at a distance. The super cheetahs suddenly collectively slump, falling to the ground as the blood spilled from the few we couldn't avoid hurting begins to... waggle? No, it's moving of its own accord, pooling together.
The form that it shapes itself into is roughly humanoid but with no defining features. That would be impressive, considering I can still see it flowing and moving around. It lashes out at me, extending an arm into a tentacle to strike at me. Raising a shield the tentacle slaps off of it, smearing the shield for a moment before the excess blood is dropped as I lower the guard again.
"We're not trying to take anything from you, we're trying to stop them from killing and destroying everything without massacring them!"
"LIES! DEATH TO THE OUTSIDERS!"
Some of the cheetah crowd are beginning to charge us again, but they don't seem to be enhanced. Just the ones who seem to be taking their 'god' or whatever the hell this is seriously. The rest hang back, clearly terrified.
I look over at Elise. "You know what? We have bigger problems to deal with today." A MASER forms next to me and I take a moment to aim carefully at the blood elemental thing.
"Knock knock, Avon calling." Fire.
There's no real noise. A sort of buzzing hum from the construct, that's about it. It's the kind of weapon you expect for there to be a big, bright flash or something. A loud noise. Some kick back. Something. But nope, it's none of that. Firing it feels like a whisper and a gentle breeze, right up to the point where the blood elemental basically explodes. Flash-boiled, there's a kind of gargling scream before boiling blood is splattered in every direction and the charge of the cheetahs stumbles.
The ones rushing us slow down and look confused. The ones on the edges, farther out near the trees, they scream.
"TEKELE! TEKELE, NOOOO!"
When I drop the construct I move over to where the elemental was, poking it with a foot. Nothing. Hm. The fighters scattered around us who seemed so confused before look shattered now. Shit, did we just kill their god?
Is that even a thing?
I draw one of the closer ones over. He's clearly alive but doesn't resist, almost limp in how he's given up. When I put him down he just kind of slumps back to his knees.
"Get up. Tell me your name."
A few seconds pass before he can muster himself enough to stand, staring at my stomach almost blankly. "Khur."
"Khur, you mind explaining to me what the fuck just happened?"
"You killed Tekele. Our homes, our families, our culture and now our god." He hangs his head. "Just kill us and be done with it."
"We only fought because it attacked us. In case you haven't been paying attention, we've been trying to help you."
"You only bring a slow death. If you're merciful, you'll finish it now."
"No." I can see his face twisting up. "I'm not going to kill you all because this isn't the end. Haven't you been listening? You don't have to carve out another place in Skal. We'll help you rebuild elsewhere."
"If we leave Skal, what would we be then? Who would we be? Roaming, hunting, fighting is all we do, all we know."
"You'd be something new." Elise floats over to me, one hand on her side. Landing next to me she doesn't look like she's leaning her weight on her legs, she's sort of hovering.
"Elise?"
"I'll be fine. Just a cracked rib."
"That isn't fine."
"Not now."
I turn my attention back to Khur. "So, what will it be? A slow death, or a new life?"
"Remove them from Skal and they will be lost."
I tilt my head up. "Oh good, you're still here! Are you ready to actually talk now that you're done your little tantrum?"
"They will be lost. They are children still in the creche. You have already tempted enough of our people to travel other lands. You will kill them if they leave!"
"How do you figure that?"
"The magic which strengthens their minds to make them intelligent lives with deep roots here. Without it, successive generations will lose the process of integration already at play. The process will not be complete for another century at least with this clan."
"You're not a god, are you?"
"What is a god to a believer?"
I heh softly. "Why didn't you start with this instead of attacking us?"
"Swift death is the price for such trespass in Skal. You're simply annoyingly difficult to kill."
"Thank you. Look, we have bigger fish to fry, here. These distortions -"
"They are a threat to everyone, not just Skal. Go. Tekele will keep the Yellow Sun clan in check. My people will endure this."
"Please don't make us come back here. All we're trying to do is keep the peace."
"Peace is a lie. In Skal, only nature rules."
I sigh. "Fine. Fine. Whatever." I reach over and put a hand on Elise's shoulder, restoring her. "We'll talk more when we come back, Tekele."
"Perhaps."
Restore.
Firing myself off the ground I come tearing out of the trees, the cheetahs scattering in all directions as Elise is circling upwards, dodging what appears to be several Skal charging her. Dodging, weaving, smashing them away with giant green fists until one of them lands a solid punch on her and she's sent flying into the ground the way I was.
Great. Super strength shortstacks, that's just what we needed.
The ones in question attacking her are slightly different from the ones in the crowd. They look faded, drained of color, eyes almost glowing yellow. I'm not sure what the hell is going on but I don't really have time to think about it. Elise needs the support.
Blue ring, synchronize.
In progress. Symmetry established.
I come in from their left as another one of the super-cheetahs attacks her in a frothing rage, smashing it - no, her - flying into another one of the attackers.
"HERETICS! INFIDELS! YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY PEOPLE FROM ME!"
Oh, great. A soft fizzing sound and a slump behind me as a would-be sneak attacker is cut down by Emil at a distance. The super cheetahs suddenly collectively slump, falling to the ground as the blood spilled from the few we couldn't avoid hurting begins to... waggle? No, it's moving of its own accord, pooling together.
The form that it shapes itself into is roughly humanoid but with no defining features. That would be impressive, considering I can still see it flowing and moving around. It lashes out at me, extending an arm into a tentacle to strike at me. Raising a shield the tentacle slaps off of it, smearing the shield for a moment before the excess blood is dropped as I lower the guard again.
"We're not trying to take anything from you, we're trying to stop them from killing and destroying everything without massacring them!"
"LIES! DEATH TO THE OUTSIDERS!"
Some of the cheetah crowd are beginning to charge us again, but they don't seem to be enhanced. Just the ones who seem to be taking their 'god' or whatever the hell this is seriously. The rest hang back, clearly terrified.
I look over at Elise. "You know what? We have bigger problems to deal with today." A MASER forms next to me and I take a moment to aim carefully at the blood elemental thing.
"Knock knock, Avon calling." Fire.
There's no real noise. A sort of buzzing hum from the construct, that's about it. It's the kind of weapon you expect for there to be a big, bright flash or something. A loud noise. Some kick back. Something. But nope, it's none of that. Firing it feels like a whisper and a gentle breeze, right up to the point where the blood elemental basically explodes. Flash-boiled, there's a kind of gargling scream before boiling blood is splattered in every direction and the charge of the cheetahs stumbles.
The ones rushing us slow down and look confused. The ones on the edges, farther out near the trees, they scream.
"TEKELE! TEKELE, NOOOO!"
When I drop the construct I move over to where the elemental was, poking it with a foot. Nothing. Hm. The fighters scattered around us who seemed so confused before look shattered now. Shit, did we just kill their god?
Is that even a thing?
I draw one of the closer ones over. He's clearly alive but doesn't resist, almost limp in how he's given up. When I put him down he just kind of slumps back to his knees.
"Get up. Tell me your name."
A few seconds pass before he can muster himself enough to stand, staring at my stomach almost blankly. "Khur."
"Khur, you mind explaining to me what the fuck just happened?"
"You killed Tekele. Our homes, our families, our culture and now our god." He hangs his head. "Just kill us and be done with it."
"We only fought because it attacked us. In case you haven't been paying attention, we've been trying to help you."
"You only bring a slow death. If you're merciful, you'll finish it now."
"No." I can see his face twisting up. "I'm not going to kill you all because this isn't the end. Haven't you been listening? You don't have to carve out another place in Skal. We'll help you rebuild elsewhere."
"If we leave Skal, what would we be then? Who would we be? Roaming, hunting, fighting is all we do, all we know."
"You'd be something new." Elise floats over to me, one hand on her side. Landing next to me she doesn't look like she's leaning her weight on her legs, she's sort of hovering.
"Elise?"
"I'll be fine. Just a cracked rib."
"That isn't fine."
"Not now."
I turn my attention back to Khur. "So, what will it be? A slow death, or a new life?"
"Remove them from Skal and they will be lost."
I tilt my head up. "Oh good, you're still here! Are you ready to actually talk now that you're done your little tantrum?"
"They will be lost. They are children still in the creche. You have already tempted enough of our people to travel other lands. You will kill them if they leave!"
"How do you figure that?"
"The magic which strengthens their minds to make them intelligent lives with deep roots here. Without it, successive generations will lose the process of integration already at play. The process will not be complete for another century at least with this clan."
"You're not a god, are you?"
"What is a god to a believer?"
I heh softly. "Why didn't you start with this instead of attacking us?"
"Swift death is the price for such trespass in Skal. You're simply annoyingly difficult to kill."
"Thank you. Look, we have bigger fish to fry, here. These distortions -"
"They are a threat to everyone, not just Skal. Go. Tekele will keep the Yellow Sun clan in check. My people will endure this."
"Please don't make us come back here. All we're trying to do is keep the peace."
"Peace is a lie. In Skal, only nature rules."
I sigh. "Fine. Fine. Whatever." I reach over and put a hand on Elise's shoulder, restoring her. "We'll talk more when we come back, Tekele."
"Perhaps."