[PRP] Crush the lotus (see inside)

[Revolutionary Roniel]

"Other people to kill?" Zulian tilted his head and considered this new idea. He gave a second glance over the other soquili trailing behind her. They weren't her snacks... they were an army. Zulian felt a sudden stab of jealousy. Why did Samsara get an army and he didn't? He had served in an army himself but had never had one of his very own. He glared at Samsara. It wasn't right that someone so much smaller than he was should get their own army and he just had this stupid wolf that followed him around everywhere.

His rider, Thekal, had been small too. He attempted to process how these details all connected while aware that he was surrounded by a group of enemies that he had just promised to kill. If Samsara had an army... she was strong like Thekal. Zulian knew himself to be strong in a different way.

"These people you're going to kill..." He pulled his fragmented thoughts together with some effort. "Are there more of them than there are of you?"  

[Revolutionary Roniel]

"Yes," spat Samsara. "There are many more Padmapani members than Mahapadma, but we're far more dangerous." Sometimes Zulian was remarkably insightful and clever... and then he would open his mouth and speak, shattering that illusion. She scuffed a hoof along the ground. She grew tired of playing word games with him. "Make your decision. Either get out of the way or attack us!" She really wasn't inclined to fight him. They probably didn't have much time to set up before the Padmapani herd arrived. Even so, if Zulian was going to challenge her then she wasn't going to run away with her tail between her legs.  

[Revolutionary Roniel]

Zulian rumbled bemusedly but didn't quite laugh. Samsara asked such stupid questions sometimes. What he was going to do was obvious and really the only answer in the current situation. "I'm going to kill whoever you're killing. If there are more of them than there are of you then there are more to kill and it will be more fun." He wasn't about to waste his energy trying to kill a small group when he could tear into a much bigger group. There would be that many more targets... that many more families to destroy.  

[Revolutionary Roniel]

"Fine," she growled. She didn't trust him and wouldn't put it past him to be using the battle as a way to get a surprise attack off on her or one of her Mahapadma. He probably wouldn't follow her directives and might even get bored and attack someone while they were waiting for the Padmapani to show up. There were many reasons why she should have chased him off, but the benefits outweighed the risks. Once the battle started, he wouldn't be able to contain himself. No skinwalker would be able to hold back at that amount of bloodshed and carnage.

Narrower and narrower their path grew. Samsara kept an eye on Zulian but he was muttering to himself, not a danger for now. The snow flurry had long since stopped and its only reminder was the dampness of the ground. Pausing, Samsara looked around her. They had reached their ambush site. There were places to climb and hide to wait for their prey. There was a clear path ahead of them that opened up enough for her pursuers to give chase.

"Unenlagia." She summoned her second in command to her. "Take the wolves-" There were more wolves attached to their group than when they had started off. Interesting. "And go on ahead. We're going to drive them to you and you will keep them running. Bushkin, go with him." She glanced to the small yellow flutter next. "Mittrei." There was danger in the way she said her name. She knew that Mittrei had some misgivings and wasn't going to stand for any sort of disobedience. "Go back from where we came from. Hide. Wait for the Padmapani to pass you. You know what to do next."

That left her and her last vicious servants. "The rest of you are with me. Hide yourself. If anyone gives us away before all is ready..." She left the sentence hang and stared at Zulian fiercely. "I take a limb. Now, go!"

Flapping, running, and scrambling, the Mahapadma took their places. Their prey was coming.