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 Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 12:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:23 pm
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Part 1: The Theft
Vollerei awoke to silence. She sat up, worried for some reason. It was… too quiet. She looked over and saw Snack hanging from the wall, asleep and quiet. Vollerei quickly and silently rolled out of bed and stalked through the archway. There was only a brightly colored curtain hanging in the archway, it let her hear if anyone entered… but… She looked around the hallway. Nothing disturbed. Why was she so nervous? What had woken her up? It wasn’t even dawn! And she wasn’t hungry so it couldn’t be that…
She walked down the hallway, her ears pricked for any sound, eyes darting back and forth. But nothing… She looked into the kitchen. Nothing out of place there. And then the front room. Nothing out of place either…
She gasped. No Zweil! He was supposed to be sleeping on his perch!
“Zweil?” She called out, was the bird hiding somewhere? She went through the few rooms again, checking everywhere. No Zweil.
She dashed outside, her eyes scanning the rail way and stairs, the branches of the tree her house sat in and then finally the surrounding trees. No Zweil. She gave a shrill whistle, the one that he always answered to when she gave. No answer.
Frantic now, she clambered up into the branches, looking for anything, any sign Where had her Zweil gone? He was more than just a pet; he was practically her child! She’d raised that little tyke! Taught him to fly, to hunt… He wouldn’t just leave!
She gave another piercing whistle. Hoping that maybe he was nearby…. The sun rose, but she still searched, tree to tree, all around the island. Where had her baby gone? She stopped people and asked if they’d seen her Zweil, but no one had.
Noon came and went, finding Vollerei in the City of Amara. She was talking with others, asking hoping. No one had seen him… Though one person had an interesting comment.
“Another lost pet? Why are so many of you losing them?” A Blade a little younger than Vollerei commented. She gave the other a piercing glare.
“There are others?”
“Yeah…. We’ve had a handful of people looking around desperately like you. All of them asking about lost pets… one had a lost child. “ The woman shrugged. “You all do something to drive them away?”
Vollerei stalked away without a response. So she wasn’t the only one looking? She saw another, looking harassed and worried. Just like how I feel, Vollerei thought as she stopped her.
“Is one of your companions or pets missing as well?”
“Yes! But… why’d she leave? My Leeshi loved me! I’ve raised that scorra from a baby!”
“Me too…. My Kinfa’s gone. But Zweil wouldn’t just leave. ” They looked at each other, dread in their eyes.
“You think... you think someone stole them?” The other woman asked. Vollrei hesitated then nodded.
“Why else would they be gone? If Zweil had been acting restless I would have noticed. But he seems happier then ever… I’m going to go talk to the Elders…” If someone was stealing pets, and not the animals all just wandering away at the same time, then the Elders and the guards needed to be alerted.
When she reached the Elders though, she found she was not the only one… A lot of Alkidikes had showed up, all with the same worried harried look. Vollerei looked at them and wondered how any Sister could steal from so many of the Alkidikes… The sheer umber meant this wasn’t a personal vendetta or jealousy of the pets. A wide range of them had been taken. And as far as she could tell, there wasn’t a huge connection between all of them.
Would a Sister do this? Vollerei thought not. Some of them could be mean, small minded, jealous, and cruel; but not to this extent. At least she told herself that. But if it wasn’t a Sister who did this.. then that meant a Non Alkidike had gotten into the Islands! And that was not good. She trotted off to the docks to question the guards there.
“Have you seen any boats approach and land elsewhere? Or seen a lot of boats come and go last night?” She asked a little breathlessly after her run. The guard gave her an odd look as she handed a skin of water for Vollerei to drink.
“No why?”
“Because a ton of pets and companions just went missing. And they are not the sort to flee from home.” Vollerei said after she drank. Her stomach was awake, but she ignored it. Finding Zweil was more important. “And that means either a Sister, or several of them, stole our animals, or Earthlings some how got into the Islands and stole them. Neither of which I like.”
The blade looked shocked. “How many animals?”
“I don’t know the exact number… I just know there was a lot of us running around this morning looking for them. A lot gathered about the Elders place. And that’s too many for coincidences and the animals fleeing.”
“You make a good point.” The Sister said before turning to talk with the other guards. Vollerei though had made up her mind. She was certain it wasn’t a Sister stealing, so that meant Earthlings. And she was going after them!
She finished the water and walked over to give it to the guard.
“I’ll be needing a boat to ferry me across.” She said. “I do not think a Sister did this. I’ll go gather my gear and come back in a few minutes. I’m going to track down the thief.” Her eyes gleamed, “and they are going to wish they’d never come here before I finish with them.”
Stealing her Zweil! She’d kill the lot of them. Stealing was not something one did! You had to work together, share amongst your people. Theft destroyed trust and hurt those stolen from.
She ran back to her house, grabbed her gear, a quick breakfast and then Snack. Trotting over to Valera’s house, she told her not-quite-adopted daughter what was happening and asked she and her Grandmother take special care and to watch over Snack while she hunted the thieves down.
((words: 1033)) |
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:53 pm
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Part 2: Tracking the Thieves
She ate distractedly on the boat ride over. How to find a thief who came and went through the Isles without alerting anyone? Perhaps she would have been better off checking the shores of the Isles to find markings of people docking where no one was supposed to be?
No… If there were thieves from outside the Isles, which she was positive of, then checking the shore lines nearest the Isles would be best. They would have taken more care covering their tracks leaving the Isles, not coming ashore in Jahaur where there would be less eyes watching. She hoped this was so… Otherwise how would she ever find her Kinfa?
Talking with the other Alkidikes aboard, they all decided to spread out all along the shoreline and work their way inland. Eventually one would find tracks. They too were of the mind that a Sister hadn’t been the perpetrator, so it must be Earthlings! Though why steal their pets?
Waving a good luck to the other’s Vollerei left at the first drop off point. She knew this area; it was where she’d been washed ashore by that sea storm the first time she’d left home. Best she stick to area’s she knew.
She recalled the thieves of Tale. Perhaps they could be useful… didn’t bandits know where other bandits were? If she couldn’t find any tracks she’d go check up on them. It was one extra lead.
It was later in the day when she found tracks. Deep in the jungle far from any village, the marks of a wagon passing through. She walked around and found where they’d come from; an old camp. And, she grinned, tracks leading from where the Isles were. There was no village between here and there, so why was there a wagon? Maybe to carry all the stolen pets? She thought as she looked at the tracks, memorizing them. Earthlings, with Radaku mounts. Very much like the bandits she’d run into a while back. Maybe a lot of people had Radaku mounts? She shrugged. It did not matter; this was a clue! She followed the trails in a ground eating lope, her spear held ready at her side, eyes and antennae alert to any movement or sign. The tracks were only a day old; and they were probably traveling faster than she was. I’ll just have to go faster, she thought, catch up with them… Hope they stop to steal from others or the wagon looses a wheel.
A day in of tracking, a day spent running ceaselessly, stopping only for brief rests and food, Vollerei smelled smoke. It was close by and it seemed that the Radaku riders had deviated from the wagon trails to go toward the smoke. Her eyes narrowed; smoke was not a good sign. This was a jungle with lots of rain, things shouldn’t be burning!
So she turned aside and followed the Radaku tracks to a small shifter village. Stopping at the edge she called out from the edge to let them know she was there.
“What happened here?”
A shifter woman looked up from burying someone and pointed. “We got hit by raiders! Leaf tribe. They attacked and stole our supplies, animals and some of our children!”
“Children?” Vollerei asked as she took out a snack and ate it with a gulp of water. Since she was stopping might as well take a snack break to refuel for the long run to come. Her extra bulk made running more difficult, but it held a lot of energy inside her. She was going to need to eat something big tonight though if she wanted to keep this pace up.
The Shifter nodded and wiped a way a tear. “My daughter got taken. The neighbors son, he was almost old enough to start his weapon training. Several other young children and almost adults. It must be that Bandit King.” She spat off to the side.
“Bandit King?” Vollerei asked; these must be the thieves she thought. It had to be!
“The bandits who were raiding food supplies in Tale a few months back escaped. One of them gathered together a lot of disgruntled warriors and the like. Calls himself a bandit king. Apparently they steal more than just food these days.”
Vollerei growled at her response. The thieves she'd help caught had escaped? She’d have to kill them this time… They had gone from just food stealing (which was bad enough!) to stealing food, animals, and people…
“Why people?” She asked.
The woman looked at her with a sad and angry look. “Slaves. Those Obans love slaves….”
That was all she needed to hear. Vollerei snarled angrily and turned to follow the tracks once more. How dare they! This was more than just her Zweilicht being taken. More than taking animals. You did not enslave people! You did not hurt your own people just for money! Selling people into slavery? She was angry, very angry. Her low opinion of the Fire Earthlings sank even lower. What sort of scum bought slaves? If there was no market, then people wouldn’t be bought or sold! We need to destroy them, she thought, bring down the Fire nation and break them. This is too much. If Leaf Earthlings started to enslave other tribes just to sell them to the Obans… She shook her head. She had ore important things to do. Like hunt and kill something big for energy so she could go and destroy these Bandits. And, she thought, stop by Andile to gather up some Sisters. She was going to need back up if she was going to take on the Bandits.
She was near Andile already, so she ran though the night to reach them. She rested that night there, ate a large dinner and breakfast before she and a pack of her Sisters headed into the morning light, back towards the tracks, anger and vengeance in their eyes.
((words: 991)) |
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:34 pm
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Part 3: Bandit Killing
They found the tracks by noon and that afternoon finally caught up with them. Alkidikes ran fast, fueled by anger; and the bandits were burdened with wagons and slaves. Once they found the camp, the pulled back and hunted for food, resting so they could attack at night. Vollerei took advantage of the rest o recover from the last few days of relentless running. She ate enough food for two then collapsed until sunset. Then she ate another huge meal; feeling much recovered and ready for that night’s attack, she and the others got together to plot their movements.
“We should have at least two of us go for the wagon.” Vollerei said, “The animals should be in there. And then another two head for the slaves to keep them safe.”
“That leaves only ten of us to attack the rest.” One of them said.
“That’s enough.” Vollerei said with a grim smile. “They won’t be on the Radaku mounts… and we’ll be attacking from the dark with surprise. If we can’t even the playing field with that we aren’t worthy of being Blades.”
A low eager growl answered her. They were Blades. They knew how to kill.
They settled who would go where then headed out, silent shapes in the jungle night. Silent killers eager to destroy these lowlifes.
The moon had yet to rise when they were in position. The sentry’s were near the end of their shift and more eager to go to sleep then paying attention to the tree’s and silent jungle. Above them, perched in the trees, the Alkidikes waited. Vollerei waited till she saw the sign that everyone was in position. Pulling her spear out she prepared to jump down. The archers in the group loosed their arrows.
Silently the sentries nearest the wagons and slaves died. Silently the Blades leapt from the trees, spears and blades flashing as they fell upon the remaining sentries.
Silently they rushed in, four for the wagons and slaves, the rest for the tents and slumbering forms of the bandits. One woke up before they reached them and gave a cry. An arrow took him out ending his cry with a gurgle, but not before the others began to stir and try to reach for weapons.
The Alkidikes fell upon them like silent vengeful spirits of the jungle. There was no mercy now. For food thieves, there would be mercy. Anyone could go hungry and be driven to steal. But raiding and stealing companions, livestock, and children? They did not tolerate such.
“Leave one alive!” Vollerei called out as she finished off the half asleep Earthling male in front of her. They would need someone to tell them where the bandits had their hideout.
“This one’s alive.” A tall scarred Sister said as she hit her target over the head.
And that was it. The bandits died with barely a fight. Vollerei grinned.
“This was a well executed attack.” She congratulated her Sisters. “Now we get these folks home then go after that Bandit King….”
“Agreed. And gather more Sisters. Let’s clear out these Earthling scum.” One sister said as she kicked a dead body. Murmurs of agreement spread through out the group as they set about freeing the slaves and seeing to the animals.
“I’ll take word back of the bandits,” a young blade spoke up, she must have just gotten her title Vollerei thought. “And return the animals to their owners as well as escort the Earthlings back home. It looks like these are just from that one village you told us about.”
Vollerei nodded as she entered the wagon.
“Zweil!” She cried as she spotted her kinfa. He set up a loud racket upon seeing her. Breaking his cage, Vollerei cradled him and preened his feathers. “Poor baby, you must have been scared in that cage and so far from mommy.” She crooned as she comforted her Kinfa.
She looked at the other Alkidikes, "Let’s get going… and we’ve got these lovely Radaku mounts now… perhaps we can take them with us!”
They headed back to Andile, keeping the one living bandit alive and bound. He was quite easy to …persuade to talk. They got from him the location of the Bandit Kings hideout.
Once the earthlings were returned to their village and the animals on their way back to the Isles, Vollerei and the Blades gathered to discuss just how they would attack the Bandit King.
“I say we burn them out.” The older scarred Sister from before spoke up. “Burn them out and shoot them as they come running.”
“It’s got merit. But what of the captives?” Vollerei asked. “They are inside the jungle to, which means that fire won’t take so easily. I say we cut them off from the outside, attack all the bandit raiders as they come and go until we bleed them off. It’ll take a while, but we’ve got the whole jungle to hunt in while they will be stuck inside their hide out.”
The scarred sister nodded. “Sounds better… I prefer quick action, but perhaps a slower plan would be best… safer too.”
“And we can always sneak in and steal all the captives a little at a time.” Another Sister piped up. “It’s not like we have to wait for them to leave.”
Vollerei grinned at this. “True, plus we don’t want to drag it on too long. The captives will starve before the Bandits do.” She was worried about that. Starving was not something she wished on anyone.
Plans were set and the large group of Alkidikes headed out; more joined as they traveled towards the hideout. Word of the bandits had spread, and Vollrei had made sure to send word by messenger to al the min villages and cities in this area warning them of the bandits and to keep an eye out for them.
They ran into several raiding parties as they got closer, some were heading out and they killed mercilessly, others were headed back. These took more effort, as they didn’t want to kill the captives. They got away mostly with light wounds; the bandits were not expecting to be hunted. Plus the Alkidikes had numbers on their side; each raiding party was smaller then them.
The attack on the hideout went as planned. For a few days they attacked anything that showed it’s face and wasn’t a captive. Then at night the Alkidikes snuck inside and killed the Bandits as they slept, taking with them captives every time. Finally they attacked in force, charging into the hideout, knowing the weak points and layout from their forays earlier. They headed first to the captives, much as they wanted to kill the bandits, they needed to rescue everyone first. Vollerei made it quite clear that killing everything came second to rescuing. No one was going to be left behind for the bandits.
Finally Volelrei and a handful of Alkidkes managed to fight their way to the ‘throne room.’ Or what the bandit king claimed was his throne room. She sneered when she saw it. Filthy and disgusting is what she called it.
And, she had to give him props for courage, the Bandit King was there. With several large and very strong looking male Earthlings. But, she grinned, the Alkidikes matched them for height and reach. Her race was tall and strong, they were meant for fighting, for the jungle. These Leaf tribesmen were meant for the plains where size was not an advantage.
She charged, spear at ready.
“That scum king’s mine.” She growled. The others, following behind her spread out, heading for the body guards. This was going to be a mono-a-mono battle.
Vollerei out weighed, out reached, and was taller than this fake king. She was confident she could beat him, but still was cautious. He must have some skill if he had managed to gather about him so many people!
It was a good thing she was cautious, for he was a superb swordsman. She stayed out of his reach, mocking him with her longer spear and arms. He managed to get close a few times and she bleed from the few strikes he got in. But in the end, swirling her spear, she tripped him up. As he stumbled, Volelrei was on him like a Radaku on its prey. Fast and confident, her spear jabbed forward, sliding between his ribs.
She pulled the spear out and stabbed him through the head, just to be sure of course. Then she spat on his body.
“Filthy scum.” She growled. Looking over at her sisters she gave them a weary grin. “Let’s burn this place down and then head home, sisters.”
((words: 1451 )) |
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:46 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:44 am
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OOC 
