Gahiji Massri's page

Rahiji roars with laughter, then says more quietly, "Listen..."

Ears twitching, the great lion looks around with more than human intelligence in its eyes, listening to the voice on the speaker. As the insane speech concludes, it pants hard, almost laughing, then shakes like a retriever emerging from the water, splattering the ship's walls with the gore previously hanging from its mane and jaws. It advances warily, sniffing at the parboiled corpses, before rearing on its hind legs, form flowing to a human one, but retaining the lion's head.

"Vorian defends his ship in interesting ways, doesn't he," Rahiji chuckles, "So, good pilot, you have a taste for blood? I can certainly indulge that. Look on yon deck and in the gardens. Much of the blood and gore is my handiwork. Would you like to hear my very favorite thing to do? You would enjoy it, I think. Decapitation is only the first step..."

He crouches over one of the bodies, noting the insignia thereon and turning the man over. Cocking his head, he considers. "You are no friend to Darkov and his boys, I see. Do you wait for Ritter? I believe he has decided to take a different ship. I have use for you, though, and it sounds like you for me, for I can bring you blood... rivers of it. I believe we may be able to strike a deal. I can understand if you are reluctant to meet. I'm willing to negotiate on the coms."

He snorts with disgust. "My 'sister' can take care of herself, and take another..." He looks around at the remaining airships and his eyes narrow. "Virago! I have found it!"

Grasping Cassie's arm, he growls, "Wait for me, woman, or lose your... reward." He sprints to Virago and swarms up its ladder like a practiced sailor, muscles flexing under bronzed skin.

Where are you, he growls to himself, prowling the corridors of the now-deserted ship, Where did he stash you? He flows into the form of a lion and begins sniffing through the corridors, seeking.

The beast whirls, bounding to the Ament's boarding ladder and ascending, transforming to a man as he does. He vanishes into the gondola, but reappears within seconds, surveying the area, then descending to saunter to Cassie's side.

"So, you speak the truth? Then I need you. Get aboard and let us go from this place."

Strong hands grab Cassie's waist. "Steady, huntress. What will you do now that your chambers are empty, hmm?" a voice purrs into her ear.

Now that the pounding of the giant's fist has stopped, they can hear the faint sound of an ornithopter fading into the distance. Cries of "Lord Gahiji! Save us!" ring from the Ament, and Gahiji looks up and gives a brief wave.

Taking advantage of the thing's predicament, he releases Cassie and dashes towards the downed giant, flowing into a lion form as he leaps upon its back and begins to claw and gnaw through its neck, tearing away rotting flesh, cogs, cams, struts, and wires.

As Cassie glances back, she notices one of the shapes emerging from the misty darkness - the one farthest in the back - suddenly disappears as if yanked back into the fog. Then another silently vanishes. The third screams before he's dragged off, and there's a roar of annoyed triumph as the scream is cut short.

The remaining mercs turn and fire wildly into the mist, giving Cassie and Kittington a lead, though the blind, fishy giant still clambers noisily forward, great fists pounding the pavement and grabbing towards the duo.

The big cat lay stretched on his side in the underbrush, breath rasping between parted fangs in great clouds of steam. Insects buzzed nearby as early dewdrops fell on his heaving flanks with great splats, there to steam from his tortured body. Distant pulse-round concussions mingled with the stomp and roar of the remaining giants, but all was peaceful in the little spot where he lay.

A tickle in his mind teased. Somebody wanted contact. But he could do nothing right now. Burned flesh and shattered bones would take time to mend. The Presence could accelerate healing, but energy was required on this plane and his was depleted. So he lay and gasped and debated releasing the link to preserve his life. But nobody knew where he was, and it was certain his damnable sister would not look for him. She would be happy to see him gone.

The buzz of flies and sharp smell of blood finally penetrated dimmed senses. With difficulty, he rolled onto his belly and painfully crawled to the source of the smell. Three men down. That would suffice. The great cat sniffed the first body, drooling, then opened its jaws to feed.

The Massri man gives a bellow of surprise and pain, releasing Cassie's hand to cover his dazzled eyes. As he shakes his head to clear his vision, a flowing mane sprouts, his body becomes covered with tawny fur, and he drops to all fours, a lion once again, form bathed in a blood-red glow for a moment as he changes. He bounds off in the direction of the airships, ignoring the giant as Cassie tears into it and focusing instead on the pulse-rifle-bearing mercs scattering near Vorian's ship.

He roars in fury as a shot connects, cooking and tearing a hole through one flank. He leaps at the man who shot him, front paws clapping together with tremendous strength to shatter the man's head. He spins to face the rest of the squad, but they are withdrawing, some retreating and firing as they go, others flat running, all spattered with the remnants of their fellow. The fleeing men attract the big cat's attention and he dashes in pursuit, pulling them down screaming as they flee.

The wound in his flank seems to close up and heal swiftly, but more shots strike home and are beginning to take their toll as the great cats slows, struggling to take down his next victim. The mercs move to press their advantage, forming up to pursue, their shots more controlled and precise, until the squad leader shouts a warning. The toppling giant scatters them as it thuds to the field in their midst. They regroup quickly, but the only trace of their foe is hideous screams in the darkness of the garden as the cat finds its latest prey.

The man stop suddenly and turns on Cassie. "You.. you repaired the engine and put some sort of security mechanism on it? Then I need you to come with me, don't I? Why would I care about leaving the others? They are no concern of mine. You even said other ships are airworthy. And do you not think the rest of the nobles you value so highly are making their way to the ships, escape foremost on their minds?" An arm shoots out, black against the darkness, pointing towards the desolate airfield. "The remaining giants will converge there soon, little fool, then none will be able to fly. Forget the hunters in the dark. We must protect the ships or leave this place now!"

He grabs her arm, sliding his strong hand down to grasp hers. "Come destroy the giants with me, huntress, then we can go." With a jerk that nearly dislocates her shoulder again, he jolts back into motion, dragging Cassie with him until she finds her stride and matches him. "Your taunt of cowardice means nothing to me, little one. My sister's life is her own. She can protect it if she chooses -- or not. I do not care. You I need, and could even like. You have more spirit than she." His tireless legs propel them through the night and the brush, branches whipping them and tangling vines trying to trip them in their flight.

"If my sister told you Ament was hers, she lied. It is ours and I have more right to it than she. And of course it will not run without an engine. It has one. Now cease this bickering and let us leave. Von Ryuko grows more distant by the minute, and other traps may be laid in this place. It is pointless to remain. But if you wish to do so, that is your choice - though a waste of your blood."

Gahiji tears his hand from Cassie's and diverts slightly, running for the airships.

"You are a fool, then. Are any other ships airworthy? Leave one for the others, if they are strong enough to escape. Ament is mine."

Gahiji blinks in surprise, snapping his head around to look towards the airfield. "You have fixed the Ament?" Laughing, he takes Cassie's hand. "Truly, your blood must be like the finest wine. Now, let us leave this place of death and move on to better things. This is no place for us!"

"Nicely done," the big man rumbles, kneeling next to the fallen soldier. He sniffs around the man's face, then swiftly grasps the merc's jaw and the back of his head and twists sharply, violently. There is a bright cracking of bone and thews; the body spasms and is still. "But you left him alive. Sloppy."

He rises to his feet and stands facing Cassie, a bit too close, drops of seawater still clinging to his arms and shoulders and glinting in the moonlight. "That is three for me, though you've performed admirably for a woman. My sister said the Baron had attacked the airships. Are any still operable? We should round up survivors and leave this place, or at least prevent these..." he nudges the body with his toe "... from disabling any that have a hope of flying. Do not fear; I can pilot an airship." The warmth of his body so near hers drives the chill of the night air from Cassie's front, though her borrowed dress is still damp.

Gahiji roars with laughter for a moment, then springs after Cassie. She can hear him keeping pace behind her, breath coming easily as they run through the darkness. "I shall give you the honor of the first strike, woman," he growls softly, panting lightly with their exertion.

Upon the Beach

Gahiji makes no effort to assist Cassie to rise, chuckling as she accepts the challenge. "Riflemen?" The great cat's ears swivel and he nods. "Ah, yes. Pulse rifles. I had not noticed in the excitement."

A deep breath swells his chest as his head shimmers and flows into that of a normal man, a man who puts a finger under Cassie's chin and tilts her face to his. He smiles down at her. "You are feeling better now? Good. I want no excuses when you fail. And to that end, I will allow you to choose our prey. I will also remain in this form, if it pleases you." His face is indistinct in the moonlight, but his eyes shine with a faint golden luminiescence as they stare into hers.

As Cassie's shot takes the behemoth's eye, a great leap rockets the huge cat at its chest. The twin impacts unbalance the giant and slowly, so slowly, it staggers and topples back into the sand.

Cassie hears bellowing and snarling from behind the bushes as she pushes through to the beach, and comes upon a scene that would have been horrific were half the fluids and debris not artificial, oils and gears strewing the sand alongside splashes of blood and gobbets of flesh. The great cat looks up at Cassie from its position atop the fallen goliath's chest, then shakes its mane to dislodge some of the gore stuck there. With a roar, it leaps into the surf, letting waves break over it as it cavorts in the water.

The lion-headed man strides from the water a few moments later, spraying water from its mane. It strides straight to Cassie and looks down at her impassively. "So you use your toys well, warrior woman. What can you do with your hands? Are you truly a fighter?" It sniffs the air, then the great nose drops to Cassie's shoulder. "But you are injured. The contest is unfair if you are not at full capacity." A few more sniffs, and a great, hot, rough tongue swipes along Cassie's shoulder joint, heat penetrating and soothing the strained tissues, then proceeds down her side to lave her cracked ribs with healing warmth.

With a grunt, the shadowy man tosses the giant's head a few feet away, where it thuds heavily into the sand. "I can understand your desire to know me better, but is now the time? Suffice to say I was an invited guest, like my sister, but arrived early and had a spat with Von Ryuko. I was an involuntary resident of his basement until recently. Is that sufficient? There is work to do. Plenty of time for dalliance later."

With another flash of white fangs, he is off, running joyously towards the next giant just making its way inland from the beach, dropping to all fours and flowing into the form of a great cat as he runs.

The great cat bares its gleaming fangs at Cassie, whether in snarl or smile, it is impossible to tell. "Warrior's blood, unlike my soft sister? I approve. It tastes better. Lead on, woman."

He leaps from the balcony following long-legged Cassie, landing in a head-over-heels roll, then springing forward to pace her easily in a loping run. He pulls just far enough ahead to tauntingly lash her with his tail tip. Take hold if you care to go faster," he growls, then accelerates towards the nearest towering form.

Dashing onto the beach, he dives between the giant's legs and flips about, paws skidding for purchase in the soft sand, then leaps, cruel claws hooking into the dead flesh of the giant, tearing great gouts of meat free in his climb up the back of the monstrosity. The giant flails fruitlessly at its own back, unable to reach its attacker, then focuses instead on Cassie, bending to grab or smash the noblewoman.

As it descends towards her, a tremendous dual roar shatters the night. The giant howls and grabs at its own head with both hands as a tear appears at one side of its neck. A moment's wrestling, and the head tears free of its moorings, spraying blood and oil across the beach. A lion-headed man clad in a linen kilt stands on the shoulders holding the head aloft, roaring in triumph as he rides the falling monstrosity to the ground. It settles with a crash and he leaps off, still holding the enormous head, muscles bulging with the strain.

Round yellow eyes regard Cassie in the moonlight. "Proper fun!" the creature purrs, "Would you care for a taste of blood? It is not as it should be. Von Ryuko and his vile constructs - faugh!"

Taut muscles and stiff joints flexed and stretched as he ran through the pitch dark, stomach growling. No time for food, though, when blood was demanded. He easily traced Rashida's scent back to the passage beneath the throne. Though the man was hideous, Gahiji blessed the time he was Von Ryuko's guest, before the falling-out. He pressed one of the corridor stones with just the right pressure, twisting slightly, to reveal the lever that opened the throne from below, then bounded up the stairs, closing the panel behind him and watching with satisfaction as the throne slid back into position. That would keep Rashida out of his hair for a while.

Surveying the ballroom, he saw nobody but the auburn-haired Frenchwoman - Cassandra, was it? - running in through the great outside doors and standing a moment staring at the balcony, pistol in hand. He grinned, and leapt down, a great, tawny cat, shaking his mane as he roared a challenge, then growled the question he must, by law, ask. "Where are the giants? Are there any others whose blood must needs be shed this night? For yours is sacred -- at the moment."

He paced in his cage, watching his soft, weak 'sister' enter her mysterious trance. If she could not tell who and what he was while wide awake, her powers were feebler than he thought. "It is I, Rashida. Let me demonstrate." Her eyes snapped open as he changed and she stepped back involuntarily, then nodded.

"I believe you," she breathed, "But Gahiji, you must use control. The assassins have been routed and only innocents remain, along with whatever monstrosities Von Ryuko has created. You must promise not to harm the nobles here."

He changed back and leaned casually against the wall of the corridor, regarding her through the bars. "Pull the lever, sister. No promises. Can you even tell who is real and who is not? I doubt it, which is why I demonstrated my power. No replica can do that, as you well know. You are in no place to make demands, dear sister. Fail to let me out, and your friends die. Let me out, they may die anyway. You know what we must do, together, you and I."

Amused, he watched her waffle, but her words surprised him. "If they are to die, I will go out and die with them rather than free you to do it. I know you, but you know me. You strike where I say, or you remain here to rot, caged like a starving lion." The unexpected backbone both pleased and annoyed him. The child was growing up, most inconveniently.

"You tempt me to call your bluff," he growled, "But it is not worth it. These people will prove themselves worthy of my ire in the end, and you will be the one to unleash me upon them. I will enjoy it. My word, then. I strike only where you tell me -- among the partygoers, anyway." He nodded in satisfaction as she pulled the lever that lifted the bars, then approached and wrapped his great hands gently around her throat, savoring the brief flash of fear in her eyes. "Would that you were not family, dear sister." Dropping his hands, he bounded off through the dark corridors, not caring if she followed.

"In the passages below the castle," he rumbled into the golden serpent, "Ryuko's throne slides aside, of course. The whiskers. For our sakes, look. Really, sister, you should learn something of mechanics. Straight, then the first left, third right, second left... yes yes, I'll tell you as you go. Mind your step. Something has exploded down here. And what was that shaking? Really? Interesting. You cannot fight. They care nothing for your judgement. Hurry. Release me."

He stood and stretched, reaching muscular arms towards the ceiling, rotating his head slowly as stif joints cracked. Soon. Soon there will be something to kill. Soon there will be blood.