☾ Dris'rynne

[Painted Moose]

☾Prentice Class Quest Solo☾

(Dris'rynne is going for Swordsman in the Assassin class category. (I thought long and hard, but healer never fit her; not really. I'm so sorry for all the bouncing around on this. xD))

This wasn't the first time Dris'rynne had been to Tale, nor would it likely be the last. The cushioned ground felt odd until her feet, and the off-white sand seemed to pulled her down with each step. Even with her developing leg muscles she still felt as if trudging through water itself would be easier at times than trying to traverse this landscape. She reached up towards her head in an attempt to pull her hair into a bun, but the shortened strands fell back around her face softened waves. The lack of humidity was disturbing at first, though life more than made up for it by giving her the space she needed from her mother. Briza hadn't even fussed this time when her husband and daughter had left, which is exactly why she had told her parents to stay with her until they returned. Gods only knew what her mother would do when left to her own devices.

"Look at the grass, Dris'rynne. If your sisters could see it they would make skirts out of it." Niyani mused, drawing her attention to the candy-colored flora. It was a sharp, crystallized formation that seemed to cluster in one particular area though she knew there was likely more scattered about. The plethora of pink in the mixture made her smile. They would rip that up in a heartbeat.

Niyani reigned his Quhar to a stop, holding onto the leads long enough for the ware laden cart to come into an easy stop. The beasts seemed content enough to rest, though Dris'rynne wasn't too sure on that. They rarely showed any emotion that wasn't hunger. Which, as luck would have it, happened to be prevalent. They reached forward to nibble on the water filled bulbs growing from the brightly colored grass, bursting them in their molars with a satisfying pop. He tied them off to a tree, and attempted a stretch while Dris'rynne looked around. She felt naked for the most part without her swords at her sides. Most of the time she kept them hidden, as she was doing now (having stuffed them underneath the wares in the cart), but it still felt odd without them. She was hoping that once they got into Oba she could broach the subject with Niyani. Without her mother around she thought he might be more accepting of the idea, and less judgmental. But the idea of rejections kept her quiet. After everything that had happened, the last thing she wanted to do was add oil to the fire.

"Where is Talisia?" Niyani asked, drawing her attention once more.

"I'm not sure. Maybe she's checking to see if Silva followed us." Dris'rynne shrugged her shoulders. Her...sister could handle herself, at least for a while. If she got in too over her head then Dris'rynne would help her out, like big sisters did.

"Maybe you should find her...I think I heard trouble." The man craned his head, listening for a sound on the wind that Dris'rynne had a hard time catching. When she did she discovered it was a woman's shrill scream, and not too far away from them. "We need to find her, then get out of here. If we're jumped we'll lose half a years worth of work."

Nodding, Dris'rynne moved to go off in search of her when she heard another scream. What if that sound was Talisia? She twisted her hips, craning to listen once more before the ruckus came to them.

From atop the back of a Xaraan came a pair of Obans, from what she could tell a man and a woman, who were followed by several mounted men. A few arrows sailed toward them, and one caught the Xaraan in it's flank. With a loud screech the creature toppled to the ground, taking with it the two riders.

"They'll kill them." Dris'rynne ground out, biting at the bit to reach for her swords. She wasn't trained, not in the blade, and Niyani...what if they went after him? Her family's lively hood could be stolen right out from under her nose if she left to help, but if she didn't...

"Dris...sweetheart, take a weapon."

Shocked, she turned to see Niyani climbing up the back of the wagon and digging through their stock to find a doubled bladed axe. It was heavy for him, too heavy to be lifted, so he swapped it out for a lighter sword. The man was no warrior, but the grim look on his face said it all; they had to do something and do it fast.

"No, Niyani, you can't-"

"I can and I will. Obans or not, no one deserves to be slain in the dirt like a bunch of dirty thieves."

"What if they are thieves?"

"...We'll cross that when we get there."

He was faster than her by far. Niyani swung his legs over the side of the cart, and rushed towards the battle, screaming as he went to draw the bandits attention. Dris'rynne waited only a moment before going in search of her blades. The young shifter pulled herself up onto the cart, cutting her legs on the blades Niyani had tossed aside. She dug through the mess until her hands found familiar hilts and pulled her weapons from the pile. They shone just as brilliantly today as the day her grandfather had given them to her, but now, now they had a purpose.

Following her step-father was harder than it should have been. He was fast, faster than she had ever known and was fighting alongside the Oban man. Neither one seemed to have much skill with a blade, but they were trying. When the bandits saw her moving closer, more than a few charged her way. Dris'rynne held up one sword to block an attack while a sniper's bolt found it's way into her thigh. It buried itself deep, causing her to cry out.

"Those are nice blades you have, girl! Far too nice for you to carry." The sniper readied another bolt, but Dris'rynne was too focused on the swordsman pressing down upon her. For every defensive block Dris'rynne made he pressed forward with a stronger attack. Her arms throbbed with the effort of holding up the hefty blades, and her bones felt the shockwave each attack. Another scream erupted from the woman, and in that moment Dris understood. She caught sight of the dark skinned woman clutching her distended stomach, crouched down as close as she could get to the injured Xaraan. The pinched look to her face showed Dris that this woman wasn't just fearful for herself, but for the child she carried. That she could understand, even if she had yet to become a mother herself. The man that traveled with her tried to stay as close as he could while Niyani covered them. To his credit, her step-father had already injured one, but there were five more to deal with.

Dris'rynne pushed herself into moving her injured leg, and luckily she side stepped a deadly strike. In an adrenaline rush Dris'rynne thrust her blade out towards the swordsman...and buried it deep into his chest. The man's surprised gurgle brought blood out of his mouth, and when she pulled the blade from from his body he tried to cover the hole as best he could. Within a matter of seconds he dropped to the side, falling dead at her feet.

What contents remained in her stomach tried to come back up, but she fought them back. She had just...Oh Gods, what had she done? The woman's shrieks kept getting louder, and that seemed to jostle her into action. If Niyani had seen his daughters attack, he didn't react, and for that she was grateful. Dris'rynne shook all over, her body ached, and through it she pressed forward.

Her blades found purchase in another bandit, this time after flanking him from behind. He had been in the middle of an attack on Niyani, and when he fell her step-father had no choice but to truly see her. Dris'rynne couldn't meet his gaze. He was frightened, which was something she wasn't used to, and the critical way he took in her appearance spoke volumes.

When they had slain enough of the bandits for their leader to call a retreat, Dris'rynne had to stop herself from following them. Her blood still sung for vengeance, and the high the battle had given her had yet to ebb off. It was...It was frightening how much she liked this. Surely she should have been more worried over the men she had just murdered, but something prevented that. They weren't family and they were bad men. Their lives didn't deserve mourning.

The man dropped his blade in his rush to get to the woman's side. She was shaking, visibly crying, but seemed to be alright. He kept murmuring soothing words to her while stroking her back, something that Dris'rynne found endearing. She wiped her blades off on the bit of skirt that covered her left thigh, then looked up to meet Niyani's gaze. He had moved closer, and yet...still remained distant.

"Dris-"

"Don't, alright, it's over."

"It's not over," he growled. "How long have you had those? When were you planning on telling me you were armed? Does Talisia know?"

"I haven't had them long and no, she doesn't know."

"...So what about all that you told your mother before we left? About how you were going to come home, study to be a midwife, and devote yourself to healing? How much of that was a lie?"

She couldn't answer him immediately. Dris'rynne drew in a shaky breath, allowing her arms to fall to the point where the tips of her blades touched the ground. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and this...she didn't want it to come out like this. The way he looked at her made her feel like a young child again; one who had done an immeasurable wrong.

When she remained silent, Niyani exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair. If the man was aware that he had just stained his light grey hair crimson with blood then he made no mention of it. "This...we don't have to tell your mother about this. We can sell the blades when we get to Oba and-"

"I'm not selling my swords." Dris'rynne stated bluntly. "Grandfather made them specifically for me, and I...I'm going to keep them." Her gaze was unsure, but she tried to look at him. Despite the way her bottom lip quivered, possibly from the understanding that she had murdered and now had disappointed the only adult she truly trusted, she stood resolute. "I thought if I became a midwife that I could help. That it would be enough." Her eyes drifted to the Oban couple. "But it wasn't. When I was in Sauti I was so frustrated that I couldn't help kill those stupid Bugs, and now I can. I am sick and tired of letting my fear of upsetting mother dictate what I'm supposed to do with my life."

Dris'rynne hadn't been aware of just how loud her voice was until the pair had turned their attention towards her. Her step-father silently judged her, mentally contemplating a punishment no doubt, when at long last he gave into a worn down sigh. "You're right; we took this trip so that you and Talisia could have a break from all of that, but you're still...Dris, if this is what you want, then I'll...try to support you. It isn't easy knowing that you want to practice with something that could lead to more death. But you jumped into help, without fear for your own life, and that's a noble cause."

If only he had known. Dris'rynne hadn't taken up the swords to save the Obans; she had wanted to save Niyani. He was family, so he was worth the risk, but sticking her neck out for possible thieves wasn't in her agenda. She wasn't so selfless and that frightened her more than anything. What would she have done if he hadn't decided to help? Sit back and watch them die? What kind of role model was that for her sisters?

"Excuse me..." The Oban man had made his way closer, holding the hand of his nerve stricken companion. "I just wanted to thank you both. Without you we would have been dead for sure."

"What did you do to piss them off like that?" Dris'rynne blurted. "Those are Tale bandits; you know you're in their zone, right?"

"Yes, well...the thing is...I used to work for their leader..."

"See!" Dris'rynne turned on Niyani. "I told you they were thieves."

Pointedly ignoring her, Niyani quipped, "So you were running away, then, and I guess he didn't like it?"

"Nah, he didn't care about me. See, the big guy, the one with the crossbow...this is his wife." He looked back at the dark skinned beauty, who had the good graces to look as ashamed as she should be. "We've been...together for years, but it was never anything serious. That is, until she got pregnant."

"I was scared he would kill my baby." Sniffling, the woman reached down to place both of her hands on her stomach. "He would have known instantly if it wasn't a hybrid, and then he-"

"It's alright." Dris'rynne explained, before giving a soft sort of smile. The look contradicted her viciously blood coated exterior. "You did the right thing, even if you broke your marriage vows. A mother's oath to their child means more than any vow given to a man."

For once, the woman smiled in return. "Bless you."

"We'll give you a lift to the next village. Your Xaraan won't fit on the wagon, though-" Niyani began, only to be cut off by the Oban.

"Don't worry 'bout her. Had to put her out of her misery."

"Right, well, come on." Pointedly, he waited for the pair to walk off before turning to Dris'rynne. "This isn't over, but we can't stay here. Clean off and find Talisia. We'll talk about this when we reach the village."

Wonderful.

(WC: 2380)

(Attempted plot; Dris'rynne and her step-father come upon some bandits trying to attack a husband/wife pair in Tale while traveling to Oba. This interaction will allow Dris to fight, test her skills in battle, and ultimately reveal to her step-father that she has no desire to be a healer.)  

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 2 Solo 1☾

Dris'rynne watched the crowds in the marketplace simmer down into just a few dozen souls until Kelv's inhabitants had seemingly tucked themselves away for the night. She had assisted her step-father in closing up shop for the night, loading all of their materials back onto the cart, and moving their load just outside of the city to their campsite. Niyani had found long ago that it was safer to sleep in a sort of group with the other traveling merchants so that a few eyes were always open, watching, for the bandits that would strike. It was the reason why none of the group bothered with staying in an inn; better to sleep tucked among their possessions than risk losing it all for a soft bed.

Naturally the merchants were both relieved and surprised when Niyani brought Dris'rynne along. Many had known the shifter for years and had heard stories of his olders, though to see her in the flesh was completely different. It was more than a little bit overwhelming.

"Oh, aren't you a doll!"

"I bet your Papa has to chase all the boys away, am I right?"

"-poor thing, that scar really marred such a pretty face-"

It wasn't the flood of cooing comments that bothered her so much as the introductions. If she counted just right Dris'rynne could discern that nearly every one of Niyani's merchant friends had at least one, sometimes two, eligible sons to show off in front of her. There were a few leaf boys, more than a few water tribe men, an iceling, and upon learning that she didn't mind hybrids, a new flood had descended upon her.

When she finally had a minute to breath Dris'rynne slipped away from the group, and hid out near their wagon. Her step-father's Quhar lumbered around with it's head close to the ground, snorting a little as it picked at the ground. If it hoped to root out something for a snack the poor beast was dumber than it looked.

"I kind of like that last one." Niyani stepped around the wagon holding two wooden bowls of stew. He passed one over to her, then settled himself down on the ground with his back pressed against one of the carts wheels. "Smart lad, good eye for crafting-"

"He's lazy, smells like the dead, and commented on too many times about my 'birthing hips'." Dris'rynne picked at her stew with a deep set frown. More than a few men had talked about them, even when they thought she couldn't hear. What she lacked in bust she more than made up for down south, and it was embarrassing to be picked apart like some kind of prized perzi set out for display.

She hadn't realized Niyani was still talking until he cleared his throat. Twice. When she looked up there was genuine concern breaking through his amused smile. "Was there no one you liked?"

It shouldn't have taken her that long to think about it. More than a few of the men presented to her had their fair share of good qualifies. Desirable, even. Although, as far as marriage material was concerned...Dris'rynne shook her head. "If you're asking me to settle down with one of them I can't. Not until I get to know them better. It's going to take more than a conversation to get my interest." Marriage was something that Dris'rynne held above all else, and in her eyes, the union was a sacred testament to love. She wasn't about to enter something that binding with a stranger she had met by an Oban campfire.

Niyani chuckled. "That's why you have to talk to them, girl. Find a few you'd like to get to know better, go out with them, and see if any strike up something more. It can't hurt."

"...Did mother put you up to this?"

Her blunt question made Niyani choke on his stew. He coughed and rubbed his chest as if a few pieces had slipped down the wrong way. "Well...I...hrm, she may have planted the idea." He answered sheepishly, then quickly added," but we both want the best for you, Dris'rynne. You're of an age now where marriage isn't out of the question. And with you deciding to...'travel', I would rather see you settled down sooner rather than later. Having a husband will prevent any surprises."

Dris'rynne raised her brow. She knew full well what he was talking about, and instead of having the tact to let it slip, she snapped, "You mean pregnancies. You and mother are afraid of me getting knocked up before I'm married, aren't you?"

"Sweetheart, I love you and your mother with all of my heart, but raising you alone was hard on Briza. She had family that lived close by, and it still left her exhausted at the end of the day. I just don't want to see you suffer trying to take care of a child on your own in the middle of a desert." He set his now empty bowl aside and sighed. "It also narrows your options as far as a permanent relationship is concerned. I wish everyone was open minded and accepted all children as their own blood, but it isn't that way. Especially if that child is a hybrid." A heavy silence hung between them. Dris'rynne had seen enough hybrids, her own recently discovered sister included, suffer simply for existing.

Niyani's message was clear. Even if she were married there was no guarantee a her child (hybrid or not) wouldn't have a hard life, but at least she would have assistance. Otherwise she would be a lone, one eyed shifter mercenary outside of Jauhar with a child born out of wedlock. Her chances of a respectable marriage at that point would be low, if not non-existent.

And yet...

"I've raised children on my own, Niyani. I raised your daughters." She pointed out sternly. Briza may have birthed her younger sisters, but her parents traveled often due to work. Dris'rynne was left alone with the twin girls, and had been their primary caretaker for a number of years now. "And if I can't find someone to love me if I do somehow manage to have a kid then I would rather be single. I'll marry when I'm ready in my heart, not just because it's the 'safer' option."

All talk of marriage aside, Niyani needn't have warned her against having a hybrid child. She had no wish to spawn a child who would suffer needlessly; not on purpose, anyway. It was just cruel and uncalled for. The world was becoming more accepting of their kind, but it wasn't yet in a state where she felt comfortable contemplating the idea.

Besides, in order for that to open someone would have to get close enough to her to do the deed.

And that just wasn't happening.

(WC: 1,14 cool  

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 2 Solo 2☾

The night was long, and full of terrors.

Dris'rynne had never been happier to see the mounting sun in all her years. Her latest job had been with a band of mercenaries, send out to track a slaver who hadn't quit his trade despite the business being illegal now. The day had quickly passed into night, when the darkness over the dunes had turned into all out war. She had never felt so stained her in life. Not only were henchman coming at her from all sides, but so were slaves, who couldn't be deterred no matter what she said. Dris'rynne had begged them to put down their weapons, to just walk away, but they had been so brain washed that not a single one could fathom their own freedom.

The pay had been considerable, but the mounting horrors outweighed any coins in her pouch. What must it have been like for those poor souls, seeing their chance at a new life, but being too afraid of a beating to actually take it? Every one of them save for those too weak to fight had died, and the rest hadn't allowed her anywhere near them. She had made her way into the slavers compound to free those still trapped; the elderly, wounded, mothers with their children...and everyone had called her a monster.

A little boy had thrown a stone at her, catching her square in the jaw. The sting of the strike hadn't wounded her nearly as much as seeing his sobbing face, screaming at her for murdering his father. His finned ears had been clipped, scars covering his little body like a map, and still yet his liberators were the things of nightmares. She had been the one to ruin his life, not his 'master'. How she must have to looked to him at that moment. Skin caked in the blood of his family, of the men he thought were supposed to protect him, standing before him with dual swords that glistened in the moonlight.

At the time she had been sick, but now Dris'rynne was numb.

She was still with the mercenaries in the blossoming sunlight as they drank their troubles away. So many of them cheered each other for a job well done, and many more talked about seeing their families once they got home. How could they? How in the names of the Gods could they possibly look into the eyes of their children and not see that little boy? When she had first signed onto this adventure Dris'rynne had thought herself a hero, had been so sure that by the end of the night she would be praised by men and women alike for her bravery, not condemned. The freed slaves had been told they could go wherever they wanted, but none had followed the mercenaries. Not a single one wanted anything to do with them, so all had remained in that derelict compound, trapped in their horrors and hate.

They hadn't saved a single one.

"First time out?" Dris'rynne looked up to see the leader, a stout Oban woman named Tryss, make her way over to sit next to the shifter on the sand.

"No...and yes. I've taken on jobs before, but nothing like this." Every time she closed her eyes to stop the tide of tears that boys face consumed her thoughts. Dris'rynne knew it wouldn't be long now before she was a blubbering mess, like so many other rookies before her. Would they make fun of her the same way they did the others? The ones whose nerves couldn't survive the trials of battle? "What was the point in all of this if I couldn't save one child?"

"Do you really think you didn't save that boy?" How much had she seen? Had Tryss been there, watching over the shoulder of her conscript to make sure that Dris followed through? The young shifter jumped when a calloused hand clasped onto her shoulder. "Right now he's confused. Give him time and he'll see that he's been given his life back."

"...We murdered his father. He'll never forgive us for that."

"Maybe he won't, but that boy is alive now and free thanks to us. What he does with his life now is his choice. That to me is as good a victory as any."

Dris'rynne felt the hand on her shoulder tighten before Tryss stood and made her way back to her men. In a way those words made sense to her, but they were still too fresh to sink in. She wanted so badly to go back and take that boy in her arms until he knew he was safe. The uncertainty that burned so brightly in his little eyes was akin to a demon to her; something so foul and unholy for a child to know. He should have had a life that left him exhausted at the end of the day from laughing and not manual labor. Or worse. Even now, so many years after slavery had been banned, a few unlucky souls were trapped.

The warrior knew without a doubt that there would be no sleep for her this day. In all likelihood she wouldn't return to her step-father, either; Dris'rynne would find a nice hole to hide in and scream until her throat burst. She wanted to maim, to slash, and kill just to make someone feel the same pain she felt. And yet, wasn't that the same reasoning that had gotten her here?

Now that she had been paid there was no more reason for Dris'rynne to stick around. Without so much as a word to Tryss or the others the shifter stood, casting one last look at the sun before shunning it entirely. If she had her way it would be hours before she saw it again, and only then when the next job came to call.

(WC: 1,076)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 2 Solo 3☾

It was days before Dris'rynne returned to her step-father's caravan.

In the early morning light she slipped back into the merchant's quarter, hoping against hope not to spook any of the Quhar that were grazing on the sparse flora. Most were familiar enough with her that they barely looked up, though Niyani's personal beast did acknowledge her. It moved it's great lumbering head closer, nuzzling at her feet until she offered up a bit of fruit she'd kept hidden in her satchel. The beast seemed pleased with this offering, as if it now agreed to keep her arrival a great secret.

As Dris'rynne closed in on his wagon she heard voices. Familiar voices. Ones she hadn't heard in weeks. They were enough to for her to turn her slow creep into an all out run, and when she skirted around the edge of the wagon she screamed, "Beasties!"

Two identical shifter girls looked up and squealed. They turned away from preparing breakfast to rush towards their sister, and in unison they tackled her down to the ground. It was hard to tell who was talking and squealing loudest; Dris or the girls. They were simultaneously hugging, crying, and talking to one another like a flock of kinfa chirping away in the sunlight.

Niyani made his groggy way around the front of the caravan accompanied by Briza. The pair were arm in arm, a little tousled from sleep, but far too amused by the girls to tell them to be quiet.

Dris'rynne maneuvered her way into a sitting position, careful not to poke at her sisters with the hilts of her sheathed blades. She broke away from them long enough to remove the weaponry, and then almost frantically took them back into her arms. "What are you doing here? And when did you get so big?"

Her baby sisters were pushing twelve now, and looking more like little teenagers with each passing day. Sinoyss' hair was well past her shoulders now, far longer than her sisters, and Zarxena's top was cut closer to her skin than anything Dris'rynne had ever seen. She would have to talk to the girl about that later.

"We missed you, Rynni." Sinoyss buried her face into her sister's shoulder, rubbing her face against crystals so similar to her own. "You said this trip wouldn't take that long, but it did."

"Yeah, and where's Talisia? I thought she came with you?" Zari looked around, as if to find the hybrid hiding under some rock or blending in with the environment. "We made her bracelets like yours. Big sisters need them, you know?"

She hugged them both for that. The yelling and anger in the household had surely frightened them, and yet her sisters were ready to accept their hybrid siblings as one of their own. "She's gone now, off on a trip with a friend of hers, but I'm sure you'll see her again soon." Dris'rynne wouldn't go into details with them; if Talisia wanted to tell them everything then she could, but for right now she was perfectly content just to hug on her sisters.

"Oh," they answered in unison. The girls seemed to look at each other, contemplating things, before turning to look at Dris. "Can we see the city instead?"

Oh how she had missed their twin talk. "Of course. Just...let me catch a nap first and we can go out after." Just being around them help stave off the horrors of the past, but it wasn't enough to wipe them away completely. She still needed sleep, and that just couldn't be passed up.

(WC: 601)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 2 Solo 4☾

Nothing in the world compared to spending time with Sinoyss and Zarxena.

Her sisters bounced all over the Oban city of Kalv, poking around in shops, stalls, theaters and oasis' just to get a taste of the life their older sister had been living. It warmed her heart just watching them; even now in their preteen years the girls still walked hand in hand, finished each others sentences, and generally adored spending time with one other. She had always wondered if they'd ever out grow it, the 'twinness', but each seemed perfectly content sharing a life with her sister.

"How does it feel being the only not twin in the family, sis?" Sin turned back to look at Dris'rynne, and the older shifter couldn't help noticing that her baby sister wore make up. Isn't she a little young for that...? Surely they weren't getting that old, were they? "I've got Zari, and Tali has Ciaran...not sure if he still counts if he's dead..."

Zari pinched the fat above her sister's hip, causing the other girl to squeal out. "Sini, that's rude. He's our brother too."

"Is he? How does that even work, Zari?"

Dris'rynne couldn't help a little dark chuckle. In all honesty, she was ready to cuff the back of Sin's head for the comment about Ciaran, but it amused her to hear all of this. It seemed so easy for them to consider Talisia as part of the family, but the mysterious brother? Not so much. If they had ever gotten to meet him, if he wasn't dead, would they still treat him like that? Or would they have made him bracelets as well?

They argued like that for the rest of the day. One wanted to go to Zena, one wanted to stay home, one wanted to be a dancer, the other wanted to be a healer, one wanted to marry a pretty shifter boy and the other...

"An alkidike, Sin, really?"

"You don't think they're pretty? I see my dream girl when I close my eyes every night....she has have long dreads, braided, with big black eyes and pretty bubble markings on her skin."

"....bubbles?"

Dris'rynne cleared her throat. By the point in time crushes had been brought up they were nearing the merchant caravans and she could already see their parents. Dris knew that the last thing Briza would want to hear about was her daughter's affinity for large, Amazonian bug women. It was amazing at all to her that her sister would even want to date another race, considering the racism that ran rampant in their family. Then again, she had always like to push the boundaries and this would certainly do it..."Not around mother, girls. Crush talk is just for sisters, okay? It's a secret just for us."

The girls nodded eagerly, looking for all the world like little kids who'd been given a great gift. A secret that they could only share with big sis!

Zari waited all of a moment before asking, "What does your dream person look like, Dris?"

She pondered on it for a moment before speaking. "I'm not picky about gender, a girl or a guy is fine with me, so long as they can pull their own weight. No lay abouts, but no one rude, either. Preferably they would be taller than me with blue sk-" Dris'rynne brought herself to an instant halt the moment things started to go weird in her mind.

Unfortunately, her sisters were quick to pick up on it. "Oh my gosh, you're just like mom! You like icelings too!" They squealed and started poking at her, faces squirreled up in laughter.

Dris'rynne's cheeks burned. If only they knew the true shade of that blue. "I do not like icelings and if you don't get off me you won't have any snacks tonight!"

"Aww, you don't mean that!" Zari stuck out her tongue before darting off with her sister.

"I do too!" Dris'rynne called after them, but it was too late. They had already mixed in with the Quhar and the wagons, leaving a frustrated sister in their wake.

(WC: 689)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 2 Class Quest Solo☾

Quote:

Dris'rynne has been in Oba for a while now, working as a temp mercenary under the leadership of an Oban named Tryss. When Tryss offers Dris a leadership position within the group she'll have to decide on what she wants; returning back home to be with her family, or staying in a foreign land to make a name for herself.

Ultimately Dris will end up choosing to stay because as much as she loves her family she knows it's her time. She's learning that it's okay to do what she wants to do in life instead of making sacrifices just to keep her family afloat. This will ultimately start a new chapter in her life, one with a new identity and a whole new set of loose morals.

Night consumed the sands of Oba like a plague from which no one could escape. Dris'rynne ran through it, her legs pounding on the soft terrain as quickly as she could, but the endless expanse of darkened sand made it feel as if she weren't running at all. A sheathed blade slapped against her thigh with every footfall, reminding her of exactly why she was moving so quickly when all she wanted was rest.

There was no moon to guide her; just a never ending void that threatened to swallow her whole if she stopped. All at once the sand started to slip from beneath her feet, but Dris'rynne ran faster and faster and faster with the sand slipping away until-

She woke up with a jolt.

Dris'rynne's still thrumming heart propelled her into scrambling out of her bedroll into a full stand. She couldn't find her swords, she needed those swords, where were the-

"Rynni?" Turning around sharply, she could see the outline of Tryss as she rose up from sleep. The older woman yawned, wiping back sleep from her eyes before really noticing the disheveled state of the younger shifter. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, just had a weird dream. Go back to sleep."

Just as it was impossible for one to lay back down after that, so was it true for the other. Tryss slipped away from the bedroll she shared with her wife, pausing only to tuck the blankets in around her before slipping off after Dris. The morning would be on them soon, and within a few hours the mercenaries would be up, rearing to get started on a new day.

The two walked in companionable silence around the desert dunes. At this hour in the day everything was cool, with the sand coming up around her ankles like the touch of waves. It remembered Dris'rynne that not everything in Oba was horrible; there was just as many lovely things here as there were terrors.

"You've been with me for a while now," Tryss stopped near a little oasis and turned to look at Dris. "Thought you said this was all going to be temporary? Just quick coin?"

That's what Dris'rynne had thought as well. When she'd first come to Oba there hadn't been much call for an armed shifter. The military wouldn't take her, no one really wanted her, all except for the scruffy mercs. It hadn't been as if she could go back to a calmer lifestyle after that. She had murdered; it just wasn't possible to be 'normal' after that.

A mundane life never would have fit her, anyway. Being out there with Tryss and her boys had opened up an entirely new world for Dris'rynne. She saved as many lives as she ended, saw Oba for what it really was, and had developed true friendships along the way. It wasn't pretty work, nor was it easy, but Dris'rynne had never felt so...so...free.

At least out in the field she could make her own choices. Tryss let her pick which jobs she wanted, and she wasn't stuck doing something just because it 'had to be done'. As much as Dris'rynne loved and missed her family she was beginning to understand that time away from them was doing her some good. She was able to breath on her own; to really explore herself and for that she would never be able to repay Tryss.

"Turns out I like it," she said at length, "you must have rubbed off on me, old woman."

That seemed to be the desired response because Tryss' face lit up in a mischievous grin. The whole thing made Dris'rynne suspicious, mostly because she knew what that grin signified. Something was going on in the older Obans mind; something that would involve her.

"You know, the wife wants to settle down. She says it's high time for us to get a little place, have some kids, that sort of thing. Can't really do all of that with half of Oba out for our throats, you know?" Tryss allowed that to sink in before adding, "So, we're thinkin' 'bout moving. Dunno where; maybe Matori, maybe Sauti, who knows. Just know I can't just leave the mercs to just anyone, you know?"

"You're retiring?" Dris thought she would be dead and in the ground by the time Tryss gave up the fight. She was as aggressive as a pinned Janarim so just imagining her as a house wife was...it just didn't fit. "And you...? Wait, no, you can't."

"I can and I will. I'm leaving the Lunes to you. Seems pretty fitting to me, really, since you're a shifter and all." At Dris'rynne gaping expression, Tryss just laughed and clapped her on the shoulder, "It's not just that, alright? You're a good sword arm, you care about the men and the marks, but you're not soft. They're going to need that. And I doubt there's anyone in our group that wouldn't fight for you."

"They barely know me! They've been fighting with you for years, so why in the hel-" She couldn't believe what she was hearing! Tryss, handing the Lunes over to Dris? Was she insane?!

"I get that we're not a huge group, not like some of them out there, but that's our strength. We know each other on a personal level, and you...well, they trust you. A'course, we all know you wanna go back to Jauhar, so, I guess this puts you in a bind, huh?"

No duh.

Dris'rynne knew she should decline. Her sisters would need her to return to Jauhar once her time in Oba was over, but...but why? Their mother had been cleaning her act up, Niyani promised to stay home more so....would they even really need her? The Lunes would need her; Tryss had as much said so. She could have a new, thriving life here if she was just brave enough to reach out and claim it.

However, Dris also knew that if she accepted she wouldn't be able to see her family. Being the leader of a merc group, no matter how small, was placing a target on her head. She would have to assume a new name, hide under cloaks...Was she ready for all of that?

It didn't take her long to reach the conclusion that yes, yes she was. Dris'rynne wanted a life full of something more than fluffing sheets and running errands. She adored her sisters, loved them more than the moon itself, but there was a time in which she knew she needed to let go. If not for them then for her. This was her time, and now....now she was ready to make the most of it.

"Let them know that I've taken the position. I'll head up the Lunes, but not as Dris'rynne...Le them know that Korres is their new leader now."

Someday she might regret getting swept up in the cheers of Tryss or that encouraging smile. She already had her doubts, but Dris'rynne was as covered in blood as any of the other mercs. Sure, not all of their missions ended with assassinations but when they did it was usually her who ended the poor sods life. What did it matter if she did a few more? If this was how she was going to make a name for herself, then better to be known for an impartial leader than one who second guesses herself. She had to be strong now; solid and dedicated to the cause.

There was no backing out now.

Tryss took her back to the camp, where she announced the news to everyone in a loud, booming voice (thus waking up those who were unfortunately still asleep). It surprised Dris that most had already known of Tryss intention, but in a way, it made her glad. They all seemed genuinely happy to have her as their leader, and hearing Big Red, their Oban brute, call her 'Boss' was thrilling.

So when they called for a speech she awkwardly stepped forward and called out, "Come sunup you'll be listening to me now, got it?! Tomorrows assignment will be...to hit the taverns wide open and celebrate!"

If she had any doubts of whether or not they liked her before they were all gone now.

Dris'rynne would have to personally see her family off, and let them know that she wouldn't be coming back. She didn't expect to hear any words of encouragement, especially from her mother, but for once...she felt okay with leaving them behind. Dris knew that her sisters were in good hands, and felt for the first time in her life that they would be just fine without her. But for now, she didn't want to think about them; she wanted to celebrate with her men and start adjusting to being called Korres and 'Boss Lady'.

Oh what a wild, wild life this was turning out to be.

And Korres loved it all.

(WC: 1504)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 3 - Pregnancy Solo☾

"You're what?!"

Dris'rynne's grandfather's bellowing voice could have been heard from miles away. For a moment the two simply stared at each other, one momentarily paused with rage and the other waiting with bated breath to see what he would do next.

The decision to come home after finding out she was expecting hadn't been easy. Her parents hadn't wanted to leave her in Oba at all because they had feared for her. They wanted her to come back with them to Jauhar, to get married and settled down like a proper young lady. Instead, she had remained and risen to the top of a mercenary organization through sheer determination. And now, thanks to her 'feminine urges'...now she was going to be a mother.

And like a fool she had wanted to share that news with her family.

Dris'rynne sat at the family table in her parent's home, and waited for more outbursts. Her sudden admission had caused the lot of them to go silent, and the only movement she could see from her peripheral was that of her twin sisters, each looking at each other in open shock.

"...How long?" Her mother broached. Dris'rynne turned to see her frail mother, shaking and reaching out to grasp her husband's hand in her own. "How long have you known?"

"Not long....less than a month-"

Her grandfather cut her off with a sharp, pointed look, "And it was an Oban, wasn't it? You let one of those filthy, blood thirsty monsters knock you up-"

"Father, please!" Bryanni cried out, trying to stop his onslaught, but he didn't seem keen to stop.

"HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT THEY DID TO US, BRYANNI?" He brought one large, meaty fist down on top of the table. It was enough to bring shocked cries from both Dris'rynne's mother and younger sisters.

"That was ages ago-," Niyani chimed in, hoping to keep the peace in his home. He held his wife close and looked out at the faces of his daughters before turning back to his father-in-law. "-before the girls were even born. Oba's changed; they aren't the same now as they were before the war-"

"And you think that makes a difference?" The older shifter sneered. "Bad enough to have Dris'rynne whore herself out, but to an Oban-"

Dris'rynne bunched her hands into fists under the table. She had known her grandfather would act this way; his hatred towards the fire tribe was well known in their village. He had fought against them multiple times, losing family and friends to their soldiers. Even though he was no longer a warrior and so many years had passed that hatred still burned bright as a forge's flame in his chest.

And for so long she had dismissed it as an old man's inability to move on.

Now, however, it directly effected her and the child she carried.

"So it's alright for you to brand me a whore, but not your own daughter? She wasn't married when she had me; or is it because the child I carry is a hybrid?"

"We can fix this," Bryanni chimed in quickly. She looked frenzied, her own nerves feeding off the tension in the room. "No one has to know, sweetie. I-t isn't too late to fix it-"

"Bryanni, you aren't suggesting-"

"-Of course I am, Niyani! She can't...our baby can't give birth to..." She couldn't bring herself to say it, which only served to freeze Dris'rynne's heart.

Her mother wanted her to get rid of the baby. To get rid of the great shame that would stain their family.

"How could you say something like that?" She murmured, bringing one of her hands unconsciously to her stomach. Even though it was flat in her heart she could already sense the child she carried. Dris'rynne pushed her chair back and stood, trying her best to keep them from seeing how shook up she was.

Dris'rynne hadn't expected a 'happy' reception. She had thought, however, that her family would come to her support...instead, the general consensus seemed to be condemnation.

"What does the father think? I'm sure he's just as eager to be rid of his mistake as-"

"He doesn't know." Dris'rynne barked, cutting her grandfather's newest tirade off before it gained ground.

The amount of things Damissan didn't know about her could fill a library. She hadn't even bothered telling him her real name before he left town. It hadn't seemed necessary; they trained, drank, and slept with each other. There had been no great 'bonding' moment, just a few hours of carnal activity that led to the creation of life.

She should have thought it through. She should have known that being with a man could lead to this, and Dris'rynne shouldn't have let things get as far as they did. For once in her life she had let go and allowed her heart to do as it wanted; and now...now she was going to raise a baby on her own.

In all honesty she had hoped that her younger sisters would be able to come to Oba with her, just to help out in the first few months, but if they hadn't been able to come before they definitely wouldn't be allowed to now.

Dris'rynne had gone from the dependable, strong willed 'golden' child to the rebellious whore over the course of a meal.

She was supposed to stay for a month; that's what she had promised her sisters, but Dris'rynne couldn't stand to be there another moment. "I'll send a letter when I'm settled." That was all she said before grabbing her things and storming out of her parents home. She could hear her grandfather raging behind her, telling her that if she ran back to Oba she may as well consider herself disowned.

What choice did she have?

The child she carried inside her was innocent to all of this. It didn't deserve her grandfather's scorn, or her mother's dismissal. Leaving her family behind burned a hole inside of her chest. It was all she had ever known, and her sisters...her babies...She wouldn't be seeing them for a very, very long time now. Dris'rynne could hear them screaming for her as she descended the trees, but she also knew their parents were holding them back from chasing her.

By the time she reached the ground Dris'rynne was a sobbing mess. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the bark. In between choked sobs she murmured to her baby, telling it that everything would be alright, that they would figure this out together.

She didn't know where Damissan was, and even if she did the likelihood of him agreeing to help would have been slim. What if he didn't even like kids? No, better to keep this to herself. She could do this, she just needed to be strong, despite her fears and the shame pooling over her. Her families words had struck a harsh blow; one that brought the proud warrior to her knees.

She knew she couldn't stay there, that she had to keep moving, for her child's sake, but for now, just for now, Dris'rynne couldn't make herself move. All she could bear to do was cry.

(1200 WC - 4pts)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 3 - A Letter to My Sisters☾

Sinoyss and Zarxena,

I'm not sure where to begin, other than to say I'm sorry.I want you to know that just because we're separated now doesn't mean that I intend to leave things this way. Now that you're older I feel that you should know the truth; the real reason why mother won't allow me to see you.

In almost every letter she's sent to me mother has urged me to abandon my daughters so that I can return home and perform what she calls 'damage control' on my life when there is simply no 'damage' to control. My daughter's are not stains on my life; in truth, they are my greatest blessing and I adore them both. I only wish that she could see them as I do; to know their love, to share in their struggles and to enjoy the fact that they exist at all.

I don't know if any of my previous letters have reached you, or if she has intercepted them, which is why I'm sending a personal messenger to you. Don't be alarmed; he may look rough, but he's a good friend of mine. You can trust him.

I miss you both more than words can say, and I hope you can forgive me for being away for so long. One day I'll find a way for us to be a family again; I can promise you that. What I want more than anything is for my girls to know their aunts, and I just know that you'll love them. Little Ani is a tough one, and Ade is a sweetheart.

I'm also dating now; a man, named Teslaron, who has a daughter of his own, born a few months behind the twins. He's an odd wonderful man whom I can proudly say that I love very much. He's part of my family now which means he's part of yours and family shouldn't be separated. I haven't given up hope for that and I pray that you haven't either.

Dris'rynne

(336 WC - 1pt)
 

[Painted Moose]

☾Stage 3 - Growth Solo☾

Two weeks.

That's all the Irregular's chief strategist, the old codger Grunt, allotted for this mission. In his experience, being ex-military, that was all it would take to reach Matori and be rid of the target, leaving a few days extra for recovery. It gave them breathing room which the mercenary company found in short supply these days, so Dris'rynne was more than pleased with that estimate. It meant she could take a little bit of time to herself, and possibly buy a few trinkets for her loved ones to make up for being gone so long.

Ever since taking over the Lunes, Dris'rynne's group had steadily grown in both number and reputation in the passing years. Now they known not only across Oba, but in neighboring nations as well, which meant that free time was came as rarely as a blood-free wardrobe. Over the last few years their blades had grown sharper, and their bodies were hardened with the resolve only found in those that fought for coin. It was a rough life, but one that suited Dris'rynne; she could make as much money as she could work for, and with a growing family she needed all the coin she could get.

Not that Dris'rynne was unaccustomed to hard work. Her body bore the callous' of rough days long before picking up a sword. She simply wished she could spend time with the girls, with Tes, but if she wanted the pay then she had to work. Life never gave handouts, and right now, this was doing her family the most good.

It was why she had initially agreed to the mission in Matori. Normally the Belpol Irregulars didn't work so far south, but the client talked it up to a grand ideal. He was a smaller man, a waterling by the name of Tick Tick, a name supposedly given to him by the master he had once served many years ago. He was willing to pay a large toll to have a man tracked down; his former master, the same man who had brutally tortured his wife for many, many years. Tick Tick spoke of the injuries in great detail; her various broken bones, the miscarriages as a result of the man's cruelty, her physical handicaps that made it impossible for her to work in her later years...Tick Tick went on to share other acts this beastly man had performed to other slaves, but his wife...that was one the client wouldn't let go.

Even years after their release the two hadn't been able to forget the atrocities they had endured, and his wife's near endless pain fanned the flames of revenge. While living he had promised to never leave her side; but after her passing there was little to hold Tick Tick back.

His voice was filled with such despair and pain that Dris'rynne hadn't been able to turn him away. She had always been a hopeless romantic, and maybe it was the recent turns in her life that prompted her to believe him, to immediately accept the job without the endless scrutiny normally provided to potential clients, but whatever the case she agreed.

The journey itself to Matori's shores had gone off without a hitch. After explaining the situation to her family and saying her goodbyes Dris'rynne took a handful of warriors, and made her way southward. She was so convinced that the mission would go well, within a timely fashion even, that she had chosen men born in Matori so that they could see their homeland once more. Maybe even visit with family, if they had the time.

"It's Besaji, we need to go to Besaji," Tick Tick reiterated the statement for what must have been the hundredth time that day. The smaller man wrung his hands through the folds of his shirt, looking more and more anxious the closer they came to their appointed area. Dris'rynne chalked it up to nerves; he had insisted on coming, even if he wasn't an experienced fighter. She placated him and agreed, but on the stipulation that he remain at her side. He could come, but he had to stay safe; no client, no pay.

"Why is a former master this far South in Matori?" Dris'rynne questioned, cocking one of her eyebrows, "And no more games. I want the truth. You can't dodge this any longer."

"It's his wife. S-she's water, like me, but she was stupid enough to marry him. Gold digging who-" He went on a mini tirad, but Dris'rynne tuned the majority of it out. Several of her men had already surmised that this man, the master named Decon, likely moved to an area that no one would be able to find him to spare his own life. Taking a matori wife only gave evidence to that claim. For a man who was supposedly so cruel to his former slaves there was no way he could love such a woman, and Dris'rynne knew she was likely either dead or being held captive. He likely only made public appearances with her, if he even got out these days, to build a sense of trust with his neighbors. Either way, something would need to be done about that as well.

It was a little trickier getting to Besaji then any of them expected. It was a large fishing town, with water lapping at all sides and the choppy shores made it hard to find a vessel tough enough to carry several hefty men safely across. From what she could see it looked like a peaceful enough community; one that she didn't want to disrupt by making too much of a scene. So far, beyond her well armed men, the only two that stood out were herself and Grunt, whose Oban appearance was already making waves. Some openly stared while others gently ushered their children behind their legs.

"You'd think after this long they'd be a little friendlier." He groused, stepping out of the little skiff to assist in pulling it ashore. His boots clapped loudly in the water; a far cry from the almost gentle sound of Dris'rynne's own boots slipping into the waves.

"Can you really blame them? You're a grouchy old man; that translates into 'trouble' no matter the language."

He snorted; which was as close to a laugh as Grunt would ever get. His eyes were focused on the task at hand, that of moving their equipment to shore, when he looked at Tick Tick and huffed, "What's wrong with him? He's all twitches and he keeps mumbling to himself."

Tick Tick had disembarked as soon as the skiff had reached shallow water and was, indeed, pacing while murmuring on the sand. Dris'rynne just shook her head, "Pre-murder jitters? What does it matter? I don't care how crazy he is; I just want to kill Decon, get my money and get back to my girls in one piece."

"Your girls or your man?"

"Watch it, Grunt."

Tick Tick led the group to the southern most tip of Besaji, getting further and further away from any sort of village. It was both a relief and a sense of worry for Dris'rynne. The less people that had to see this the better, but also...what if something bad happened this far out? What if-?

"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to show up, Korres." Dris'rynne paused, holding out a hand to prevent Grunt from continuing. She turned to an outcropping of stones, close to the forty foot drop off into the ocean, where an Oban face appeared. She didn't recognize him, or the fighters with him. They came out of the woodwork; slipping around them at all angles and easily out numbering them.

Dammit!

"You're not Decon." She snarled.

"How perceptive of you," His grin was just enough to really piss her off. It was equal parts condescending and proud; of himself, that is.

Dris'rynne reached out to snatch the back of Tick Tick's top before he could run away, and drug the struggling back close to her chest, raising dagger to his throat. Immediately her own men huddled in close, hands are the ready to bring out their respective weapons and fight.

"Oh please, go ahead and do it, I've been wanting to for years." The man, not-Decon, waved his hand, giving her his permission to end it.

The act in itself was disgusting enough for Dris'rynne to move her dagger away from Tick Tick's throat, but not enough to leave him unblemished. She'd been lied to, her men were being ambushed, and it was all this man's fault. And Tick Tick was laughing?

"Tighter, push it tighter darling, that's how I like it." He whispered it just low enough for Dris'rynne to hear before licking his lips. The Oban seemed pleased by it all, as if this scene had played out more than a few times before.

Fully disgusted now she pushed him away...but not before bringing her dagger down into his shoulder blade. The serrated blade did more damage upon removal then it did on entry, and there was no small amount of satisfaction coursing through her when she saw him writing in pain on the ground.

Now her focus was on the man slowly making his way closer to her. "What do you want?"

"I want you to leave Korres." He tapped his fingers against the hilt of his blade, coyly playing with a bit of tassel at the end of the guard. "Do you know how hard it is to find good paying work in Oba? Especially when all of that work is going to a foreigner?"

"Maybe my crew wouldn't take it all if two-bit groups like yours actually gave a damn about finishing the job and earning trust instead of running off with the coin." Dris'rynne squinted her eye, then widened it a fraction, "I know you. Your Flys; you used to lead the Grims, right before the government locked you away."

"Wrong, sweetheart, I still lead the Grims." He opened his arms wide, fully displaying the group of cackling, self assured Obans all around them. She didn't know how so many had been able to make it on this island when one Oban had drawn enough attention earlier...unless the villagers had been bribed, which was just wrong. "It's just harder to keep a lucrative business going when the city guard is after you. Now, how about you and me make a deal?"

Flys got in close, close enough that she could still smell fish on his breath and Dris'rynne made no show of hiding her disgust. She curled her pert nose, looking up at him as if he were the epitome of scum. It seemed to harden something in him; whatever bit of the man that thought dealing with her simply because she was smaller would be easy.

"If you and your boys get out of Oba I won't do a thing to those pretty little girls you've got waiting back home. Sound good, Dris'rynne?"

There was no hiding the open shock on her face. Dris'rynne was prepared to knock back whatever kind of skeezy offer he had, until he spoke about her daughters. He knew her real name, for the sake of the Gods!

"That's it, you're getting it. Can't have some foreigner in my land taking all my business," He reached out to take a lock of her hair between her fingers, causing Grunt to jerk forward, but Dris'rynne held out a hand. Not now. "I don't care where you go with them; Jauhar, Tale, hell Matori looks pretty nice doesn't it? You'll have to leave these of course, as insurance-" He tapped the hilt to one of her blades, "-and something else too. I'm thinking that other eye of yours would be a nice souvenir."

Dris'rynne was seething. "Do you honestly think that you're the first to try and run me out of Oba?"

"No," He answered blandly, "Just the first to threaten something you love." That bit was added with enough of a grin to steel her resolve.

He knew about her daughters. Those sweet, innocent little ones who hadn't even picked up a blade let alone used it to hurt anyone. Dris'rynne shook where she stood; out of legitimate fear or pure rage, she couldn't tell. Grunt stood at her back, as did the others she'd brought with her, ready to fight, but for once Dris'rynne held back.

Even if they managed to survive this, how long would it be before someone else threatened them? All three of those girls - Adenah, Annatha and Talori - would be brought into this. How long would it be before one of them was taken off the streets and used as ransom? Or worse?

I can't allow that to happen.

No amount of coin or prestige was worth their lives. Each of those precious girls deserved the best in everything, and Dris'rynne would be damned if they didn't get it.

Sorry Tes, I might be late coming home.

So long as 'Korres' existed her family was in danger, so 'Korres' would have to disappear, but not before taking this b*****d out with her.

In an instant Dris'rynne removed the serrated dagger from her hip and used it to slice upward, cutting into Flys' bicep before he managed to move away. After that, all hell broke loose.

Several of the Grim's moved in on her at once, but Dris'rynne was fast. She knocked through their numbers, going for the jugular with every swing of her blade. Not a single one of their group could be left alive if she wanted to ensure her plan went off without a hitch. Behind her she could hear the cacophony of voices rising above the waves, crashing just as hard onto stone as the ocean itself. Dris'rynne tried to block it out; her focus was entirely on Flys.

He stayed back, allowing fighter after fighter to dive in and attack her to save his own skin. Dris'rynne pressed forward. She was tiring, with minor wounds turning into a larger, more grievous ones, but she was still going...

Until a sword ran her through from behind. Dris'rynne's body shuddered forward, a sharp cry ripping out of her throat before she even looked down to see the end of a blade protruding from her abdomen. The shifter took one step, then another before falling to her knees before Flys.

Her blades clattered onto the wet stone as Dris'rynne struggled to stop the bleeding. There was too much of it, too much, and she couldn't make it stop-

Another scream rent through the air when her attacker, the assailant from behind, pulled their sword from her. Now her chest was completely bare and freely bleeding. Dris'rynne placed both of her hands against the wound, trying in vain to keep as much of her life's fluid inside of her as the pain in her body began to dull, being replaced with a bitter cold.

And the laughter. So much laughter. Flys dropped down to crouch in front of her, taking her chin in his fingers to tilt her head up. For a moment their eyes looked directly into the others. "Hope your kids like being orphans."

Dris'rynne couldn't breath. No, no no, she couldn't leave them like this! Not when this monster was still loose, when he could still hurt them! She tried to pick up her sword, tried to just life it off the ground, but the weight of her blade was so heavy....

He kept talking, but she couldn't hear him. There was no way she was going to leave her daughters, not now, not after everything she'd been through. This was her time to have a family; this was her life, her time to be happy, and that wasn't going to be taken away from her!

All at once all of Dris'rynne's strength pulled into one final, desperate attack. She lifted her blade with a might cry, one that propelled it into his side. She cut far enough in for Flys to shriek and push her away, hands scrambling to tend to his own wound.

She didn't see what happened to him after that. The shifter fell onto her back - hard - and the world around her turned black.

-------------------

"Dammit, Korres, wake up!"

"...not responding, pulse is too weak..."

"...where the hell is the bloody healer?!...."

"....lost too much blood..."

At first all Dris'rynne could hear were voices. It felt as if she were in a void, where her body was as light as a cloud until the reality of it all started to seep in. Slowly that cloud of blissful relief was pulled away, leaving her with a sharp ache in her stomach that pulled her back into the waking world.

She moaned and lolled her head, instinctively moving her hand towards her stomach - pausing when her fingers touched...bandages? For a moment she laid still, blindly dully until her vision returned to her and she was able to access the damage that had been done.

Or rather, what hadn't been done.

I'm alive?

"Someone call the healer, she's awake!" Dris'rynne was aware of Grunt's gruff voice, barking orders as he did best, and was even grateful when that chiseled old face hovered over her own. "How're ya holdin' up?"

"Hurts," She murmured weakly. It was taking all of her remaining strength just to stay away and talking seemed like an unnecessary obstacle right now.

"You got lucky." He sat down at the edge of her bed and felt her forehead. Whatever he found seemed to please him because he didn't linger for long. Grunt moved to check her bandages, which seemed to worry him more. "The wound wasn't as bad as it looked. Skewered ya, but got a clean shot; none of your innards were busted up. As far as the healer knows you just lost a lot of blood."

Dris'rynne guessed that was supposed to make her feel better, but honestly, she felt too bad in that moment to care. Everything ached, not just her stomach, though that was the worst. She knew her jaw was swollen, and that she had taken other cuts along her body, though the worst seemed to be the one that had Grunt so bent out of shape.

"How...long...?"

"What?"

"How...long...was I out...?" She hissed out, trying her best to get enough air into her bruised lungs to form proper words. "The others..."

Grunt grimaced. "Well over a week. You almost died twice, and then infection set in...It took us a lot longer to find a healer than it should have. As for the others...well, we won the battle, but lost the war, if that makes sense."

Meaning that while they had defeated their enemies, more than half of their own had died. Was it just the two of them left? Did she dare hope for more?

"Their leader, though, Flys; you got him good with that last blow. It wasn't deep like yours, but you got his insides and that's what counts. He won't be bothering you again, Kor- er. Dris'rynne. What...what should I call you now?"

"Dris." She answered on a pained grimace. "Korres...tell the others that Korres died. You're the leader now Grunt, you-"

"Woah woah, what are you saying? You're talkin' out of you're head."

"Let me speak!" Dris'rynne raised her voice enough to startled the grisled war veteran, which was good, as she doubted he would have listened otherwise.

"He knew about my daughters. He knew my name. How long do you think it will take for someone else to find out? To do something worse than threaten them?" All Dris'rynne had ever dreamt of in life was to make a name for herself. She wanted to be more than the token eldest daughter; the scarred, harsh girl that was left at home to tend to her siblings while her parents saw the world. When she had first picked up those swords in Oba she felt alive. That was the first moment in her entire life that she had taken life by the balls and called it her own.

Maybe she'd gotten carried away with it all. Leading a mercenary group? She didn't need that; she needed independence, but not an entire organization. "I'll freelance, using my own name.... and take my daughters somewhere safe. It's been...a ride serving with you Grunt, but I...I can't leave them. I can't leave Tes."

She didn't need to make a name for herself in a profession that could get her killed so long as she had a name back home, with her family. Three little girls to adore, a man who loved her and friends that had her back. That's all she needed; all she ever wanted.

"You make the rules, boss," Grunt gave a little smile then, reaching over to brush some sweaty strands of hair away from her face. "Rest up, Dris'rynne; I'll get ya back to yer family."

"Thank you, Grunt. Thank you..."

And when Dris'rynne closed her eyes, it was with the faith that he would do just that. That in a few days her family would be back in her arms and they could go somewhere safe to start over.

And this time, she would do it right.

[WC: 3,549]
[Dris'rynne has always wanted to make a name for herself. By taking over the Lunes in Oba she's done just that, but with building such a large mercenary group enemies are bound to roll in.

This solo dives into not only what Dris'rynne wants, but what she needs. Family has always meant the most to her, and the possibility of losing them forever will truly shake her up. When her daughters are threatened Dris'rynne gives up the life she's built in Oba to ensure their safety. It means losing her position as leader, but also eliminating threats to her family by losing the code name 'Korres' and allowing that part of herself to die out.

It will give her greater access to what really means most to her; her family. If that means giving up her organization then so be it.]