''I see equally well in the dark as in conditions of low light. My eyes are sharp and so I will take the last shift with the shifty armed one.
He points with his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Joseph, who is currently in the middle of interrogating/speaking to Ozymandias.
Ozymandias just stares blankly at Joseph as he talks, his expression somehow more vacant despite not even being capable of changing. "No." The robot lets the word hang in the air for a moment, his shoulder slumped beneath his cloak. "Androids are synthetic creatures given life, facsimiles of humanoid life. I know little of what I am, but I am not that." When the man says he is from Torch, Ozymandias lets out a low droning noise that might pass for a sigh. "If you are from Torch, you must be too young to remember. I once lived there too, f-f-f-f-for a time. It has been... a long time since I returned there." The robot clams up again, then takes out his revolver and cleans it meticulously, prying out his claws to scrape at the individual granules of sand and dirt in his weapon.
As talk turns to Torch, Erissa falls into a silence that seems uncharacteristic.
"How long has it been since I was home... would I even be welcome back, after all the lives I have taken?" The memory of Val's face as she set out for the war comes unbidden to her mind.
"Torch's flame burns brightly, always, for those who remember it." She says to no one in particular as she begins setting up her hammock, ensuring that Starfall is tied nearby. Retrieving a bottle of Old Law whiskey, she takes a measured sip from it before returning it to her pack. "I am not sure that I wish to return yet. If our path takes us there I might part company with you... I might not. Fate knows, time will tell."
Verra tosses her hair out of her eyes. "Y'all go ahead and set a watch then. I'm happy to take a nap til I'm needed." She looks around to see if there seems to be a good spot to set up camp.
The Waste -
A bad ride is made worse when Alexandr loses one of the horses right off the bat. Luckily Erissa is there to stop the horse from racing away from their current trajectory.
Joseph sets up the camp in a way to decrease the chances of attack, from any creature which walks upon the land anyway.
The night passes by uneventfully and Acolyte Kharzess is silent the entire time.
---
The Waste -
The camp is packed up and the group continues to move east for the Last Stop. Acolyte Kharzess appears exhausted, "No need to keep me up all night tonight I'll not try to run out here and if I have another night like that I'll fall right off of my horse..."
As you ride make a .
"Running off is not what we are concerned with. But don't worry, we won't let you fall off your horse. Worst case we lash you to it." As Erissa replies, she examines their surroundings, keeping an eye out for landmarks.
Before they have even left camp, Verra has out a small book into which she seems to be making a series of notes. Muttering to herself, she mixes a couple of reagents together while chewing a piece of jerky. Satisfied with something she apparently said to herself, she mounts up and continues to sketch and take notes as they ride on.
Verra mutters a couple of things to herself glancing at Johnny.
"I don't know. Why don't you... Fine, I'll ask him."
She walks over to him.
"Johnny, right? What is that you're making, a bomb? Her eyes go wide on seeing his funnel (no, it isn't a euphemism). And where did you get that funnel?! Oh my, I need to get one of those."
Erissa mostly ignores the morning routines of her companions, opting instead to get a better bearing on her surroundings and ensure that everything she needs is packed securely for the day.
Alexandr awakes with the dawn and spends his first fifteen minutes going through his morning kata. Even if he favors the gun over his fists he does not want his skills to go to waste.
When he is done, he lights another cigarette and places it between his teeth as he goes about cleaning his rifle and pistol, making sure both are fully operational.
When Kharzess complains about needing to sleep, Alexandr finds himself frowning.
On the one hand he sees the merit in minimizing the risk that she escapes by not allowing her to regain her magic. But on the other hand this seems a tad cruel.
This is beneath us, we lower our selves to her level if we continue this way.
Choosing not to make an issue of it for now, he mounts astride his horse and rides off when the rest do. As before he stays near the front of the column, his sharp eyes looking for any threats.
The Waste -
As the group begins to pack up, Erisa stares ahead at the path laid out before the group. It seems too obvious to ride along for some reason. Alexandr notes a few rock formations along the "road" that appear to cause Erissa to have some reaction, a memory no doubt.
Acolyte Kharzess yawns, "Well, are we going? I'd like to be in Last Stop soon so I can enjoy my last meal on my last day..."
Erissa shakes her head.
"Not your last meal tonight, sad to say. We need to go around, there are sinkholes ahead. Rather infamous in Last Stop... they can be large enough to swallow a rider whole, horse and all. Further, its almost impossible to predict where they will be as no one has been able to quite determine what causes them. We can go around, but it will mean adding another day to our trip. Better that than trying to rescue someone though." The android woman strokes her horse's hair as she says this. It is clear from her posture that she intends to ride around the sinkholes regardless of what the others decide to do.
The Waste -
Acolyte Kharzess perks up a bit, "I heard about this! I have a theory on it..."
Erissa blinks with surprise at the acolyte, then shrugs. "Well, are you going to share your 'theory' or was announcing the fact of its existence your sole purpose?"
Alexandr speaks up after Erissa's comment.
''In the interest of fairness, she probably expected someone to threaten to blow her brains out for speaking. In fact give it time and someone still might.''
Alexandr chuckles to himself at his little joke but says no more on the subject.
The Waste -
Acolyte Kharzess retorts, "BY all means shoot me down now. What would a bunch of machines do with reward money anyway?
Perhaps I might be convinced to share my theory for more humane treatment on this death ride..."
Alexandr's eyes narrow at her tone and he turns back to address Kharzess.
''Do not take that tone with us. I was not threatening to kill you, merely explaining to Erissa why you might not feel like sharing. I am curious as to your theory and would like to hear it but it will not bother me much if I don't.''
A look of pseudo disdain crosses Erissa's face as Alex and the acolyte banter back and forth.
"I truly care not about your theory, apart from possibly sharing it with the townfolk two days from now. Perhaps if it helps them it will bring some measure of peace to what passes for your soul in the afterlife. If that is not sufficient, feel free to take it with you to the grave." She leans closer to the bound woman. "I also truly do not care about the bounty on your head. I was not seeking it, or you, prior to the events that lead to your capture. My companions might, and I defer to them on manner of collection. Alive seems to be the way they prefer to collect, and short of your trying to flee I will oblige them for now." Sitting back upright, she scratches under Starfall's chin with one hand and pats the butt of her rifle with the other. "I include in that particular category your treatment en route. If they are feeling more 'humane' today, perhaps you might even get half a day's rations before we camp for the night. Personally, I have always been of the opinion that corpses are easier to move than captives, with the right warding spells anyway."
Verra looks up from the book she is making notes in.
"Most sinkholes are the result of dissolution, the long-term action of underground water on stone. Since it eats away at the ground below, the ground above becomes fragile. There are quake prone areas that may have similar phenomena as stone pushes up against or slides past other stone leaving fractures."
"Well they might have wanted to know," she mutters.
"Widely enough that it will cost us an extra night out here." Erissa answers Mira's question without looking up to even see if it was directed at her.
"If we go straight through the worst of it we might reach Last Stop tonight. Assuming we don't fall through a sinkhole along the way. If you decide to take that route I will be happy to hear all about it if I see you again tomorrow. Starfall and I are going around."
"Around is fine. Lead on, Errisa."
Verra sighs. "No, I will not suggest we let the prisoner ride in front to find the holes."
The Waste -
Acolyte Kharzess closes her mouth and it remains closed as the Seven ride around the sinkholes.
The hot, bright day of the ride through the wastelands is obscured by heavy cloud cover.
As you ride you get an uneasy sense of danger but cannot quite pinpoint the source.
Perception: Alexandr
Erissa
Johnny
Joseph
Mira
OZ
Verra
Initiative: Alexandr
Erissa
Johnny
Joseph
Mira
OZ
Verra
Flies
Number Appearing
Then the buzzing begins! From above in the dark skies appear several giant mutated flies and they dive on your position!
The Waste -
Joseph fires his arm cannon at the flying creatures. Ranged Attack - . The shot goes just wide of the first of the diving mutated creatures who fly down to attack.
Fly 2 Breath Weapon - Johnny & A-23 Acid.
Fly 3 Attack Bite Verra - Damage
Fly 4 Breath Weapon - Mira & OZ Acid.
Two of the creatures attempt to bite Erissa and Verra respectively failing to find purchase in their flesh.
The other two mutants fly towards the edges of the group and release breath weapons spewing some acidic toxin!
Johnny's bomb falls to the ground harmlessly having missed the creatures entirely.
Verra whips out her rapier and stabs at the insect who attacked her.
The blade slides easily in to and out of the giant fly.
"Ewww..."
Spotting the acid flying towards them Alexandr lets out a cry.
''Acid! Duck!!!''
Leaping backwards, to avoid the acid, he pulls his rifle from his back as he sails through the air.
Successfully avoiding the acid, he turns in midair landing on his feet and pulls back the bolt on his rifle.
Spotting the fly that spat acid at him, he gets it in his sights and he squeezes the trigger, feeling the weapon kick in his hands as it spits flying metal towards the target. His hands moving extremely quickly he loads another round into the chamber, pulls back the bolt once more and fires a second round at the fly.
Ozymandias's body lets loose the sound of scraping gears as he dodges out of the acid's path. He draws his revolver from his holster and quickly snaps off a shot at the nearest monster.
Turning Starfall toward the fly that dared attack them. "Squash its malformed head, girl!"
Rearing up, the tattooed horse strikes at the fly's head with its hooves.
Pointing her rifle at one of the flies attacking with toxic acid, Erissa fires at it.
The Waste -
Verra's blade slices into the fly cleanly but the damn thing still does not go down.
A-23's shots are accurate but his projectiles appear to do little damage to the mutated foe.
Mira holds herself in check as she sees the reaction of the horses to the gunfire erupting around them.
OZ's shot hits the flier that attacked him but his rounds also do very little in the way of bringing the creature to heel.
Erissa's horse misses the mark, her one handed use of the rifle is masterful. Unfortunately, the gun jams at the worst possible moment.
The M7 recognize quite quickly that these mutant flies have tough hide, resistant to their weapons.
As the guns begin to fire the mounts begin to become unsettled...
Fly 1 - Attack Erissa - HP = 16/16
Fly 2 - Johnny & A-231d6 - HP = 14/16
Fly 3 - Verra - HP = 11/16
Fly 4 - Mira & OZ - HP = 14/16
Verra calls out, "If any of you've got cold iron weapons, now's the time to use 'em. These varmints will shrug off just about anything else."
Her horse nervously dances around ,
but she manages to keep it under control.
Erissa tsks in annoyance as the misfire happens, but falls back into the rhythm learned during the war of what to do when that happens.
Meanwhile Starfall takes another swing at the closest fly.
Once again, however, the mutants are just too fast for the horse to connect with.
The Waste -
Joseph fires his arm cannon once more at the flying creatures. . Instead of projectiles, this time electrical sparks explode out fro the barrel striking the fly buzzing around Johnny and A-23. The creature appears to dodge at least part of the discharge and the Mutants attack once more!
Fly 1 - Attack Erissa - HP = 16/16
Fly 2 - Johnny & A-231d6 - HP = 10/16
Fly 3 - Verra - HP = 11/16
Fly 4 - Mira & OZ - HP = 14/16
Fly 1 Breath Weapon Erissa
Fly 2 - Attack Bite Johnny - Damage .
Fly 3 - Breath Weapon Verra
Fly 4 - Attack Bite Mira - Damage .
The flies near Erissa and Verra open their mouths and loose their breath weapons upon the slingers.
In the meantime, Johnny's foe dives at him and bites him in the shoulder.
Mira's foe attempts the same but her chain shirt absorbs the brunt of the hideous jaws. It does not protect her though from the awful smell that assault her nose!
Verra keeps her mount under control but is forced to dodge as the caustic breath of the mutant comes streaming towards her.
Johnny's bomb throw is errant partially because his foe closed into melee range and partially due to its powerful bite chomping at his shoulder.
The closeness of the creature and the roar of the guns causes Johnny's mount to buck and rear.
Erissa's horse cannot catch the creatures in flight though she dopes manage to get her weapon functioning properly once more.
Too intent on the clearing of her gun, Erissa takes the full brunt of the creature's spray.
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Placing a hand on his horse's snout in an attempt to calm it, Alexandr whispers to it gently.
Cursing himself for not having considered bringing multiple types of ammo, Alexandr considers his options.
Deciding that he has no better plan that to hope to fill the damn thing with enough ammo to bring it down, he loads his rifle, lines up his sights and fires, as before he reloads the weapon unusually swiftly and fires once more.
Verra pulls her mount to the side to evade the brunt of the fly's noxious spew.
Her horse responds smoothly to her commands and stays in control despite the fury of the battle. "Easy, sugar. We'll get 'em."
Ozymandias just bucks up and down as the horse beneath him refuses to cooperate. Instead of trying to fire, he grabs hold of the Technic League acolyte to keep her from falling off or fleeing.
The Waste -
Alexander manages to retain his seat on his mount but the wild bucking prevents his shots from ending up anywhere near the intended targets.
Acolyte Kharzess utters, "Release me and I shall aid you!"
Both Mira and Oz have a difficult time maintaining their holds on their mounts.
---
Verra wheels her horse around and tries the finish the fly with her rapier.
A palpable stab, but the flies are tough...
Ozymandias falls to the ground off his horse, then comes up with a roll with his pistol still trained on one of the flies. He keeps the woman held by her robe as he fires on the creatures, and his mechanical body shudders as he speaks to her. "I will not release y-y-you, even if it were to mean my death. I would kill you first, even then." His speech is interrupted by the flash and bang of his revolver firing.