"Gather up, it's time to go!" Bulvi shouted to the others as he flew towards Quasit, Saki and Victor in tow. "Saki, send a signal to Fin and Maka."
Kalchine's form shifted to that of a strange, badger-like creature before swiftly burrowing into the snow.
For the second time tonight, Kalchine finds himself in a massive blast of heat. He fares little better in avoiding it, this time, but is better prepared to withstand it.
Though, it may not look like it from the outside as almost immediately his features seem to melt and darken, though when they stop, he is not charred but rather stony.
He then melts into the floor and the ground beneath and moves away from the kill zone Rasputin has created.
Maka’s speed and aerial agility made her escape from the camp almost effortless. Despite the danger, she couldn’t help but savor the flight back; the cold night air rushing against her face, the strange moon casting an eerie glow over the alien landscape below. The riding goggles gifted by Bescaylie had quickly become one of her most treasured possessions, shielding her eyes as she cut through the dark skies.
When the hut finally came into view, Maka leaned forward and let herself plummet in a thrilling freefall. Just before she hit the ground, a quick jet of flames flared from her hands, slowing her descent for a smooth, graceful landing.
"No trouble, huh, boy?" she murmured with a warm pat on Clucker’s leg before heading inside. "I’m back! Is everyone okay?" she called out as she shut the door behind her.
|
Though she'd been vaguely aware of Selena casting the teleportation spell behind her, Quasit is still startled to find herself back at the Hut. She looks around quickly and sees those of her companions who made it with her, as well as Miroslav's charred corpse.
For a bit all she can do is stare dumbly at it, as if she can't quite process what she's seeing, but slowly her mouth tightens and her face reddens until at last, she spins around and marches up the steps and into the Hut, slamming the door behind her. She stomps past the Coffin Man without a word or look and ends up a couple rooms deep into the labyrinth of rooms, then balls her fists, charges at a wall, and pounds it as hard as she can while letting out a primal scream of anger and frustration.
She pounds a few more times as hard as she can, giving vent to her fury, until finally she sinks face first into the wall and begins to cry bitterly, sliding to the floor to curl herself into a seated protective ball and allow herself a long messy sob.
|
As Fin sees Maka fly off, he can only assume that his friends were able to teleport away…he quickly stows his bow, and stealthily heads to the NW corner tower to escape thru the hole in the wired fence below it…
Once thru the fence, he heads for the tree line, watching warily in order to time his movements to avoid any spotlights or patrols…
When he reaches the tree line though, instead of heading straight back to the hut, he moves thru the trees around the camps perimeter, seeing if he can identify how many of the trenches are still occupied by troops…then he heads back directly, staying to the trees when he can until he reaches the hut…
Upon entry to the hut, he breathes a sigh of relief to see that Sakitu, although a bit scorched, made it back safely…but upon seeing the char-broiled remains of Viktor, he frowns. About to say something to Quasit, he checks himself upon seeing her curled up in a ball. He ponders for a moment but knows there’s nothing he can say to soothe her…
She’s blaming herself…might should’ve left earlier…but hindsight is always perfect…such is the burden of leadership. Wish she could see that she’s been right much more than wrong…and there’s no one else amongst us that can lead half so well…nor anyone else that I will follow…
Breaking off his thoughts, he makes his way over to Sakitu, wipes some of the soot off her face, and brushes her lips with his, hugging her tightly, whispering, ”I’m glad you made it back alive, Hlao-roo…I was worried. I’ll be back in a moment…”
He heads over to Maka, whispering, ”I did a quick scout on the trenches surrounding the camp to see how many are still occupied; when we go back, I think you and I should go alone, take out the trench troops and clear the towers. Then we send the raven figurine back to the hut with a message for them to teleport underneath the NW tower so Q can disable that infernal machine and we can end this. I’ll wait to mention this to Q, think her grief is bit too near at the moment…”
Fin then remembers, asking Maka, ”Do you know if Zilvazaraat has returned with our goods yet?”
Maka greeted Bulvi with a passionate kiss before he filled her in on the group's encounter with Rasputin. Together, they quietly wrapped the body and respectfully placed it aside. Maka murmured a quick prayer and lit some incense, letting its gentle smoke rise as a final gesture of peace.
She then made her way around the group, giving each person a warm, reassuring hug, even Selena. Whether it was their complicated dynamic or their drastic size difference, the hug came off a bit awkward, but Maka smiled through it. "Thanks for getting everyone out!" she said sincerely.
When she reached Saki, Maka held her close for a moment. "I know you and Finn will want some time together," she whispered. "But let's talk later, alright? Make sure to find me before you head to bed."
He heads over to Maka, whispering, ”I did a quick scout on the trenches surrounding the camp to see how many are still occupied; when we go back, I think you and I should go alone, take out the trench troops and clear the towers. Then we send the raven figurine back to the hut with a message for them to teleport underneath the NW tower so Q can disable that infernal machine and we can end this. I’ll wait to mention this to Q, think her grief is bit too near at the moment…”
Maka nodded, seeing the wisdom in Fin’s plan. There were too many ranged threats out there, and the others were too vulnerable. Especially with Rasputin waiting to strike. “We'll go on our own in the morning,” she agreed quietly.
She pounds a few more times as hard as she can, giving vent to her fury, until finally she sinks face first into the wall and begins to cry bitterly, sliding to the floor to curl herself into a seated protective ball and allow herself a long messy sob.
Maka approached Quasit’s room, pushing it open slowly. Her heart tightened as she saw Quasit curled into a protective ball, her knuckles raw from pounding the wall. There was some relief in knowing Quasit had finally let herself have a good, ugly cry. And at least Quasit's knuckles were getting some conditioning in. Though Maka knew she should be more worried about the wounds.
"Hey, babe." Maka said softly, hoping the term brought as much comfort to Quasit as it did herself. "Mind if I sit with you?"
|
|
By the time Maka finds her, Quasit is just sitting on the floor looking dazed and glum. She gestures weakly to a spot next to her when Maka asks to join her.
There’s a pause, then she speaks. ”I’m fine. I just wanted to be alone for a bit.” she says quietly. She pauses again, then adds ”Victor’s dead. I don’t know if I can disable the machine without him.”. She lets her head thunk back softly into the wall. She closes her eyes. ”I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so tired of this. I just want to kill that bastard and get this over with.”
Her voice is a little too calm for the hatred in her throat.
Maka settled cross-legged on the floor beside Quasit. “Hey, don’t worry about Victor. We’ll get the fairy to raise him again. And if she won’t, Selena can bring him back in a new body. His old one was a little worn out anyway.” Maka tried not to sound too casual about death, especially after Quasit’s recent loss. But the truth was, death was a problem with multiple solutions now.
“As for the camp, Fin and I have it covered.” Maka slammed her fist into her palm, sending a spark of flames flickering out. “You need to worry about you right now. You’ve been carrying too much for too long. If you keep going like this, you’re going to break. You need rest.” Maka’s worry was clear in her tone and steady gaze.
After a moment, her voice hardened with certainty. “We’re going to kill that bastard,” she said, a promise in her voice. “But remember, taking him out doesn’t mean it’s all over. There might be another one after him… and then another after that.”
|
|
Maka settled cross-legged on the floor beside Quasit. “Hey, don’t worry about Victor. We’ll get the fairy to raise him again. And if she won’t, Selena can bring him back in a new body. His old one was a little worn out anyway.”
Quasit sighs and shrugs. "He didn't seem to even believe he was actually alive again. I wonder if we could call his soul back again with any sort of magic. But I guess it's worth a try."
She looks at her friend for the first time. "Maka, that machine is CRAZY. I mean, if it was *just* a machine, I think I could manage it. But snipping a few wires or jamming something into a gear isn't going to cut it. It's tapping into powerful magical energy from another dimension! Somehow Viktor managed to poke 4 holes into a water balloon and have it not only NOT explode, but release a controlled stream of water. Viktor may have built the machine, but clearly Rasputin had a hand in the magic part of it, and it's just WAY above me. If Nevar was here, he might be able to figure it out. Maybe Tez could figure it out. I dunno. The thing is, we need to kinda power down and redirect the magical energy, not cut it off. And if I do it wrong, the water balloon explodes and takes a big chunk of this world with it."
“As for the camp, Fin and I have it covered.” Maka slammed her fist into her palm, sending a spark of flames flickering out.
Quasit looks a little alarmed at this and seems about to protest, but then she just deflates and knocks her head back into the wall again and stares at the ceiling.
"I don't know. I just don't know. You and Fin were doing great, while the rest of us were getting cut to pieces the whole time. But I don't like the idea of you two doing everything alone. There's still a LOT of guys back at that camp. I'm sure they've already moved men back up into those towers you cleared." The size of the challenge makes the rogue's shoulders slump. "I'd be miserable if we sent you two back in alone and they managed to kill you while we sat back and just watched."
“You need to worry about you right now. You’ve been carrying too much for too long. If you keep going like this, you’re going to break. You need rest.” Maka’s worry was clear in her tone and steady gaze.
After a moment, her voice hardened with certainty. “We’re going to kill that bastard,” she said, a promise in her voice. “But remember, taking him out doesn’t mean it’s all over. There might be another one after him… and then another after that.”
Quasit's eyes close and she nods slightly, then sniffles. "Maybe Viktor was right. Maybe this IS Hell."
Selena hangs out on the porch for awhile, letting the cold seem away the feeling of fire and heat.
When Fin arrives back, she welcomes him, sort of. She does offer any healing he needs though.
The machine sounded like a nightmare to Maka. The kind where you show up to your Azvadeva Pujila unprepared and without pants. But she wasn’t about to say that to Quasit. Instead, she offered, “It’s going to be tough. So getting some rest and maybe studying his notes would definitely help.”
"I don't know. I just don't know...
“We’re not doing this all alone,” Maka reassured her. “But we need to take out those outer defenses first so it’ll be safe for everyone else.”
"I'd be miserable if we sent you two back in alone and they managed to kill you while we sat back and just watched."
Maka grinned, flashing a toothy smile. “Well, I give you my word as a disciple of the Dragon’s Eye Monastery that I won’t die!”
Quasit's eyes close and she nods slightly, then sniffles. "Maybe Viktor was right. Maybe this IS Hell."
"Okay, let's take a moment here. Close your eyes." Maka gently took Quasit's hands into her own.
"Focus on your breath." Maka said softly. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. In…and out. Just let everything else go for now." Maka gave Quasit's hands a light squeeze.
A small, warm flame flickered into existence before them, swaying gently back and forth. “Focus on the fire, let its warmth calm you,” Maka murmured, her voice a soft anchor. “Breathe in…and out. Follow the flames movement, back and forth, in and out. That’s all we need to focus on right now.”
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|
“We’re not doing this all alone,” Maka reassured her. “But we need to take out those outer defenses first so it’ll be safe for everyone else...Well, I give you my word as a disciple of the Dragon’s Eye Monastery that I won’t die!”
Quasit gives Maka a rather skeptical look. Then she notices her friend's multiple bullet wounds. "Maka, you're bleeding!" She starts digging around in her pack for a last few bandages she'd managed to smuggle off of Triaxus. "Haven't you gotten any healing yet? Oh my gosh, did Kalchine even make it out? He wasn't with us! It all happened so fast--the blades, the mist, the firestorm, then teleporting--does it hurt? Desna's tits Maka! You're here cheering ME up, when you're the one that actually got hurt!"
*****
"Okay, let's take a moment here. Close your eyes." Maka gently took Quasit's hands into her own."Focus on your breath." Maka said softly. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. In…and out. Just let everything else go for now." Maka gave Quasit's hands a light squeeze.[/q]
Quasit limply submits to Maka's exercise, but there is little enthusiasm in her face. "Makaaa, I'm not a monk." she groans in a weary voice.
A small, warm flame flickered into existence before them, swaying gently back and forth. “Focus on the fire, let its warmth calm you,” Maka murmured, her voice a soft anchor. “Breathe in…and out. Follow the flames movement, back and forth, in and out. That’s all we need to focus on right now.”
Quasit tries to follow Maka's instructions as best she can. If nothing else, it took her mind off this latest failure and made it sting a little less. And if Maka wasn't here, what would she be doing? Sitting in a dark room staring at nothing, thinking a lot of unpleasant thoughts. So, she breathes in and out conspicuously and tries to focus on the fire, and yet not think of the fire that nearly incinerated them all just a short while ago...
Quasit gives Maka a rather skeptical look. Then she notices her friend's multiple bullet wounds. "Maka, you're bleeding!" She starts digging around in her pack for a last few bandages she'd managed to smuggle off of Triaxus. "Haven't you gotten any healing yet? Oh my gosh, did Kalchine even make it out? He wasn't with us! It all happened so fast--the blades, the mist, the firestorm, then teleporting--does it hurt? Desna's tits Maka! You're here cheering ME up, when you're the one that actually got hurt!
“Sorry!” Maka said, wincing slightly as she realized how her wounds must look. Mentally kicking herself for not taking care of them before. Of course her injuries would upset Quasit!
“Kal’s fine, everyone’s fine!” Maka reassured her, holding up her strand of beads as she murmured a quick prayer. A gentle glow pulsed through the beads and spread across her wounds, kickstarting the healing process. Even so, she didn’t stop Quasit from fussing over her. There was something comforting in her friend’s care, and she figured Quasit might need to give comfort as much as receive it.
Quasit limply submits to Maka's exercise, but there is little enthusiasm in her face. "Makaaa, I'm not a monk." she groans in a weary voice.
“That’s okay, you don’t need to be a monk to meditate.” Maka said with a grin. “Think of it like… cleaning your room. Just because it’s not always perfectly tidy doesn’t mean you can’t clear out a little clutter. Toss some trash, put a few things away. You know, give yourself a bit of space.”
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“That’s okay, you don’t need to be a monk to meditate.” Maka said with a grin. “Think of it like… cleaning your room. Just because it’s not always perfectly tidy doesn’t mean you can’t clear out a little clutter. Toss some trash, put a few things away. You know, give yourself a bit of space.”
"Well, I've never really had my own room, but I know what you're saying." says Quasit with a dry smile.
She settles herself cross-legged facing Maka and looks at the flame intently for several minutes, trying her best to focus and keep other thoughts and impulses at bay, but her mind continues to drift. Memories of the traumatic night they just experienced, culminating in another ignominious retreat. All the work still to do, and having no idea how to do it, the yearning to just go home again -- it all kept intruding on her, but she gamely keeps trying to push it away and focus on her breathing.
But after several minutes, she pipes up.
"So... how long do we do this?" she asks, shifting her butt around uncomfortably..
“As little or as long as you like.” Maka smiled gently, sensing Quasit’s discomfort. “Want to talk instead? Or maybe a back rub? I can whip up some food, too, if you want. Meditation’s good, but so are snacks.”
|
Sakitu was still quite fazed from the most recent battle. The burns on her skin hurt but that wasn't the worst of it. She'd seen Quasit storm off and knew that her friend was likely beating herself up over this but that wasn't the worst of it either. She was feeling helpless and hopeless.
Every time they had a plan, it fell apart immediately. Even worse, they always barely escaped. How many times would they try this? At some point their escape would fail.
When she reached Saki, Maka held her close for a moment. "I know you and Finn will want some time together," she whispered. "But let's talk later, alright? Make sure to find me before you head to bed."
Sakitu returns Maka's embrace and then nods at her request.
"Ok. I'd like that. You know, I supposedly have all these magical powers but I still feel pathetic. I'm not trained to fight like you are. Or Bulvi and Fin too. And Quasit, she's just scrappy. Probably from her upbringing."
Sakitu shakes her head and looks down at the ground. "I need to be with Fin now."
She finds Fin across the room and wraps him in an embrace.
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When Fin arrives back, she welcomes him, sort of. She does offer any healing he needs though.
A bit taken back by Selena’s greeting, Fin smiles somberly. ”Thanks Selena, but I think it’s just a flesh wound; think the bullet went straight thru…
“You did well back there in getting those caught in the blade barrier outta there so quickly, much appreciated,” he adds before entering the Hut…
After talking with Maka, he looks around for Quasit to give her the intel he found…but not seeing her nearby, he shrugs and doesn’t press it. When Sakitu comes to embrace him, he returns it warmly…
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“As little or as long as you like.” Maka smiled gently, sensing Quasit’s discomfort. “Want to talk instead? Or maybe a back rub? I can whip up some food, too, if you want. Meditation’s good, but so are snacks.”
Quasit instantly feels bad. Her friend was bending over backward to be nice and supportive. Again. And here she was being difficult. Again.
"I'm sorry. I'm just in a mood, I guess. Something different, huh?" she says, slumping forward and resting her chin in her hands.
"I couldn't see how things ended up with the smoke monster and the towers. The magical wall of swords kinda got in our way. Did you manage to kill that thing off at least? Then maybe tonight wouldn't be a total failure."
"I guess I'm just feeling frustrated because for the last 2 or 3 nights I've thought 'This is it. The last push. Now we'll finally get at Rasputin and free Baba Yaga and we'll all be able to go home.' And every time it doesn't work out, it feels more and more like a gut punch. It just feels like we've been on this treadmill for years, and it's slowly driving me crazy. At the beginning I was scared all the time, but somewhere along the way, all this became depressingly numbingly normal, and I'm just sick to death of it. Punctuated by moments of terror when giant explosions are going off all around me. This all just blows chunks. I'm sick of it."
"You know, there was a moment... when Rasputin appeared and he surrounded us with that wall of swords and we couldn't escape--I knew there wasn't anything we could do to him... and I was like 'You know what? Fine. I don't care any more. Let's just get this over with.' And I just walked right at him, daring him to vaporize me. Fortunately my instincts still managed to kick in at the last minute when he cast his fire spell. My hate for him took over maybe, or my worry about the rest of you guys. I don't know."
"I mean..."
Quasit stops again, her voice choking into emotional stasis on what she was about to say. Her lips quiver as she tries to control her emotions, and she quickly wipes her eyes.
"...even if we manage to finish this... and go home..." She shakes her head, still struggling to regain control. Again she wipes at her eyes and she sits up straight and looks at the ceiling.
"...I don't really have a home to go home to. I ran away from my b+!#$ mother, my father is dead, I'm a fugitive from the law in Cassomir, I washed out of the Pathfinders, I fireballed my relationship with the best man I ever knew... my whole life was on a downward spiral to oblivion before this nightmare even began. My whole life was just a hot mess."
She's a little more under control by now, and she gesticulates plaintively as ehe gropes to follow her train of thought.
"And yet it stills seems better than this. You guys are my lifeline--if there's anything for me at the end of this tunnel, I'll be doing it with all of you. That's the real mission for me. Screw Baba Yaga. I just want to get us all out safe at the far end of this. And we just can't seem to manage it."
"And yet I don't know if it's even really realistic to dream that we'll all just go off and retire on that beach after this. You all have lives and goals too, above and beyond placating my bouts of angst. Maybe when our common danger has gone away, we'll all eventually go our separate ways, and I'll lose all my money in a stock scam or get into a toxic relationship with a ridiculous narcissist or who knows what. Because I've always been sorta out of control, is my point. Only now, I'm out of control of HOW I'm out of control, which is worse."
She stops now, consolidating and coalescing all things she just rattled out, and gives a groan of despair at how inadequately it summed up her mood, and she flops back onto her back with a thud and looks with glassy eyes at the ceiling. "Blah blah blah. And I think I'm about to get my period again."
A mound appears in the snow not far from the steps of the hut. It quickly draws up to a very large humanoid shape made out of earth and rock. As it strides toward the porch, it starts to shake, snow and pieces of it flying off until it is only Kalchine walking up the steps.
Once inside, he releases Chest Thumper form his miniature form and takes some time to comfort the frost ape.
Then, he seeks out the rest of the group, checking for wounds.
He arrives in time to hear Maka and Fin's plan.
"No, that is a bad idea. For one thing, you need me around for emergency healing and to keep you fighting longer. For another, you need Quasit there when we actually do take out all the troops so that she can deactivate the machine. Finally, as impressive as the two of you are, Selene, Sakitu and I can do more damage to larger groups in a shorter amount of time.
"This is a war of attrition and we are winning, even if it doesn't look like it. Every time we go a little farther, we eliminate a few more of their troops, there's a little less resistance. Would it be better and easier if we could just kill that headless rider and Rasputin and leave the rest of those troops alone? Yes. For a lot of reasons.
"But one of these times, and soon, we're going to go in there and be able to empty that camp out and have the run of the place. Did you think it would be easy? To overcome the defenses surrounding the core item of a plot by a person capable of plotting across dimensions? We need to change tactics, yes, but not the part where we go in in force. Those of us who are vulnerable to the guns need to become less vulnerable and able to stay long enough to do damage. I know how I can do it but we need to talk to Selene and Sakitu about how they're going to do it."
With his speech done, he pulses some of his healing energy through Sakitu.
Then through himself after that last burst of fire.
Then, some of the last he has left through Maka.
Then, himself again.
He looks around his handiwork with a critical eye. "I think a good night's sleep will take care of everything else."
"Ok. I'd like that. You know, I supposedly have all these magical powers but I still feel pathetic.
"That's crazy talk!"
---
"No, that is a bad idea...
"We don't have to empty out the camp, but we have to take out the outer defenses. Fin and I can hit them hard and get out a lot safer then the rest of y'all!"
---
"I couldn't see how things ended up with the smoke monster and the towers. The magical wall of swords kinda got in our way. Did you manage to kill that thing off at least? Then maybe tonight wouldn't be a total failure."
“I killed some of it,” Maka nodded. “But I think there were more than one of those mist monsters. I did blow up two of those stupid wagons, though, and Fin took out a bunch of soldiers.” She smiled, hoping Quasit would see that tonight had definitely not been a waste.
"I guess I'm just feeling frustrated...
Maka listened quietly as Quasit shared her thoughts, grateful her friend was finally opening up.
Maka took a deep breath, reaching out to hold Quasit’s hands in hers. “First off, thank you for telling me all this. Second, you are just as much of a lifeline to us as we are to you. I don’t know that we’d even get out of this tunnel without you. And third—if you are about to start your period, we still have some Calistria’s Kindness.” She pulled Quasit into a firm, warm hug.
"I know this is hard. And hardest on you. But the thing is… we don’t know how long this will take. We might have to deal with Rasputin, then the witch queen casting the winter spell, then who knows what to free Baba Yaga.” Maka’s tone was calm, her arms holding Quasit tightly. “We have to treat this like a marathon, not a sprint. It’s the best way to actually reach the finish, and to do it safely.”
Maka’s eyes softened, and her eternal optimism sparked a little brighter. “And once we’re done with this mess, we can bring your dad back. I know, it’ll probably be past the usual limits for magic, but if it takes a whole quest to do it, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“As for after?” Maka sighed, squeezing Quasit’s shoulders gently. “I know this is a nightmare for you, but for me… for me, this is my life. It wasn’t as big or as intense, but there was stuff like this before. And there will probably be more like it again, maybe with Baba Yaga.” She took a moment, realizing the truth of her own words. “But even so… I’d love nothing more than to stick together. It would make me happy if we never spent another day apart.”
Her eyes brightened as an idea dawned on her. “Hey, you know what? I’ve been thinking about the boat. Clucker’s bigger on the inside, and there are plenty of rooms. What if we made a room in there with a beach inside? That way, we’d always have a place to unwind, even if we keep doing this crazy work. And if that doesn’t work, we could just set up a portal that links us all up. Then, you could be on your beach, and we’d still be only a door away.” Maka's toothy grin spread across her face, wide and warm.
|
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He arrives in time to hear Maka and Fin's plan.
"No, that is a bad idea... “
Fin frowns, then answers. ”We’re not taking on the whole camp; we’re talking about taking out any troops on the perimeter…the soldiers manning the towers and the trench troops, which appear might be digging in the first section of the camp, near the gate…I’m not planning on entering the camp itself; I’m planning on firing from outside the camp and moving around so they have trouble getting a fix on me, while Maka will firebomb the bastards from above.”
”For one thing, you need me around for emergency healing and to keep you fighting longer.”
”Aye, that would be helpful…however, we’re gonna be on the move and not sure you can keep up nor that we could keep you safe…we won’t hesitate to retreat if things go south on us…but if there are any healing wands still with charges, those would be helpful and I can activate them...”
”For another, you need Quasit there when we actually do take out all the troops so that she can deactivate the machine.”
”Once we neutralize the troops, and only the troops, we’ll send the obsidian raven with a message to Q telling y’all to teleport underneath the NW tower and she can start disabling that bloody machine while we form to protect her from whatever forces inside the camp are left that might be sent to stop her…this way we won’t waste time having to take out each individual tower before disabling it…don’t think we have the time for that…”
”Finally, as impressive as the two of you are, Selene, Sakitu and I can do more damage to larger groups in a shorter amount of time.”
"True…but you are also much more susceptible to those same type of spells, hence Viktor’s death and y’all’s severe wounding, forcing a precipitous retreat…Maka will strike from the air and I from the perimeter; they will only have a single target at a time…and I plan to be on the move…
“As for the horseman, I can only hope this will draw him out to show himself; my bow can be particularly problematic for undead creatures, even moreso if Zilvazaraat shows soon, and I welcome the opportunity to face him again…
“But my plan is moot if Q disapproves; I’ve yet to find her and tell her of it…”
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Maka took a deep breath, reaching out to hold Quasit’s hands in hers. “First off, thank you for telling me all this. Second, you are just as much of a lifeline to us as we are to you. I don’t know that we’d even get out of this tunnel without you. And third—if you are about to start your period, we still have some Calistria’s Kindness.” She pulled Quasit into a firm, warm hug.
Quasit allows herself to be pulled up from her recumbent position and into a hug like a limp cat.
"Yeah, I know, it's just annoying. Having one more thing to worry about." she says in a weary voice. She punctuates this with a quick tightening of the hug with Maka, and a turn of the head to rest her cheek on Maka's shoulder
"I know this is hard. And hardest on you. But the thing is… we don’t know how long this will take. We might have to deal with Rasputin, then the witch queen casting the winter spell, then who knows what to free Baba Yaga.” Maka’s tone was calm, her arms holding Quasit tightly. “We have to treat this like a marathon, not a sprint. It’s the best way to actually reach the finish, and to do it safely.”
Quasit heaves a deep breath and nods with her face still sideways on Maka's shoulder, and she grunts an affirmative acknowledgement.
Maka’s eyes softened, and her eternal optimism sparked a little brighter. “And once we’re done with this mess, we can bring your dad back. I know, it’ll probably be past the usual limits for magic, but if it takes a whole quest to do it, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Quasit pulls back and looks at Maka. Clearly this hadn't occurred to her before. She just stares at her friend. "Jeepers." she finally says. "You really would do that, wouldn't you? I don't know what to say." The tone is not exactly enthusiastic, oddly. Perhaps she's just shocked.
“As for after?” Maka sighed, squeezing Quasit’s shoulders gently. “I know this is a nightmare for you, but for me… for me, this is my life. It wasn’t as big or as intense, but there was stuff like this before. And there will probably be more like it again, maybe with Baba Yaga.” She took a moment, realizing the truth of her own words. “But even so… I’d love nothing more than to stick together. It would make me happy if we never spent another day apart.”
Quasit just mutely smiles for a bit before answering. Then she sighs heavily again and shakes her head. "Oh Maka, I wish I was more like you. Nothing gets you down. You really do like all this, don't you? You know, it's funny--back home everybody always thought I was this crazy feisty tomboy who'd get into trouble at the drop of a hat... which to be fair, was sorta true. But nowadays all I want is peace and quiet and normalcy. And if you'd told me six months ago that anybody would be looking up to me as a leader or a planner, I'd have laughed in their faces."
"But you---Pharasma's knickers, you're just made for this. Slaying monsters and fighting bad guys. I don't know how you do it. And yet you're so loyal and supportive to me. I don't deserve you."
Her eyes brightened as an idea dawned on her. “Hey, you know what? I’ve been thinking about the boat. Clucker’s bigger on the inside, and there are plenty of rooms. What if we made a room in there with a beach inside? That way, we’d always have a place to unwind, even if we keep doing this crazy work. And if that doesn’t work, we could just set up a portal that links us all up. Then, you could be on your beach, and we’d still be only a door away.” Maka's toothy grin spread across her face, wide and warm.
Quasit chuckles though this exuberant spitballing before holding up her hands in self defense. "No thanks. Real beach or get out, no funky fakey pocket dimension beaches for me. A portal maybe. I think I could probably learn to operate a teleport scroll safely, actually. Someday. With a little work. But I have a hard time seeing myself subjecting myself to this sort of thing ever again willingly. Never say never I suppose. But first we have to live through this and make it to that beach."
Her smile slowly melts into a sardonic grimace as her underlying mood reasserts itself.
"Well, I guess I should stop moping and show myself again, or people will talk. Once again, Maka saves the day with her Quasit-whispering. Just as long as nobody asks me what we should do next. Right now, I don't feel like deciding between pancakes or waffles let alone a military campaign on an alien planet." She stands up stiffly with some effort. "Shall we?"
Quasit pulls back and looks at Maka. Clearly this hadn't occurred to her before. She just stares at her friend. "Jeepers." she finally says. "You really would do that, wouldn't you? I don't know what to say." The tone is not exactly enthusiastic, oddly. Perhaps she's just shocked.
"Of course! I don't care how many planets or planes we have to go to." Maka replied with perfect sincerity.
Quasit just mutely smiles for a bit before answering. Then she sighs heavily again and shakes her head. "Oh Maka, I wish I was more like you. Nothing gets you down. You really do like all this, don't you? You know, it's funny--back home everybody always thought I was this crazy feisty tomboy who'd get into trouble at the drop of a hat... which to be fair, was sorta true. But nowadays all I want is peace and quiet and normalcy. And if you'd told me six months ago that anybody would be looking up to me as a leader or a planner, I'd have laughed in their faces."
"But you---Pharasma's knickers, you're just made for this. Slaying monsters and fighting bad guys. I don't know how you do it. And yet you're so loyal and supportive to me. I don't deserve you."
“I’ll let you in on a secret, Quasit,” Maka said, her voice softening. “I wish I was more like you. You’re so brave! Everything’s been hard and scary, but you keep pushing forward. I can punch a dragon, sure, it’s easy for me. But you? You’re still here, still fighting, no matter what you’ve been through.”
She gave Quasit a smile filled with genuine admiration. “So maybe you wouldn’t slay a dragon on your own. But I don’t think I could survive what you’ve survived the way you have. So I say we deserve each other.”
Quasit chuckles though this exuberant spitballing before holding up her hands in self defense. "No thanks. Real beach or get out, no funky fakey pocket dimension beaches for me. A portal maybe. I think I could probably learn to operate a teleport scroll safely, actually. Someday. With a little work. But I have a hard time seeing myself subjecting myself to this sort of thing ever again willingly. Never say never I suppose. But first we have to live through this and make it to that beach."
Maka laughed, nudging Quasit’s shoulder playfully. “Real beach or bust. Got it.” Her smile softened, and she added, “But I like the portal idea. You can pop over anytime, no monsters required.”
Her smile slowly melts into a sardonic grimace as her underlying mood reasserts itself.
"Well, I guess I should stop moping and show myself again, or people will talk. Once again, Maka saves the day with her Quasit-whispering. Just as long as nobody asks me what we should do next. Right now, I don't feel like deciding between pancakes or waffles let alone a military campaign on an alien planet." She stands up stiffly with some effort. "Shall we?"
Maka popped up with a grin. “Well, we don’t have a waffle iron, so pancakes it is!” She laughed, taking Quasit’s hand. “C’mon, let’s face the pancake problem together.”
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While Fin awaits for Quasit to appear so he can give her his intel, he sits comfortably with Sakitu, gently stroking her hair…
…and then he recalls their order they submitted to Zilvazaraat. He leans down and brushes his lips lightly against Sakitu’s, breathing in the scent of her hair. ”Be right back, Hlao-roo, gonna go ask the door guard if he’s seen or heard anything from the space merchant; we could really use those items before we go back to the camp…”
He reluctantly rises and makes for the front door; when he gets there, he nods to the skeleton dude as he asks, ”Bones, did that space merchant show up while we were gone?”
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As she walks back toward the doorway to the outside, Quasit is thinking about the dragon warlord on Triaxus. Had that been brave? Strangely, she didn’t remember being afraid, just eager to finish the job and get away clean. Maybe it was brave. OK, sure, it was. There had been plenty of other times on this quest when she’d been terrified. That’s how fear was—it was unpredictable. Nine days out of ten, you face down the dragon, but on the tenth you run from the goblin.
Could they really save her father? Bring him back? How much would that sort of magic cost?
Did she actually want that?
That was the shocking thought. Until Maka had suggested the idea, Quasit had been convinced that she’d give anything just to have him back for an hour. But now she wasn’t sure. She wanted to go back to her old life, but maybe there was no going back? Maybe playing nursemaid to a drunken old fool wasn’t enough any more.
Maybe her mother had been right to leave him.
Maybe… she was like her mother.
That was a thought she quickly dismissed. It was too much. But she didn’t forget it.
As she steps outside again into the cold predawn air, she affects a jaunty nonchalance.
”Sorry I stormed off like that. Just frustrated. Not you guy’s fault obviously. I just needed to be disappointed and kick things for a bit.”
”So, also obviously we need to change things up. And I think we should wait for our magical goodies to arrive before we try again. But beyond that, I have absolutely no thoughts on what we’re going to do. Let’s keep watch, lick our wounds, and get our mojo back. And I suppose we should put Viktor’s body back in the bag of holding for now—maybe we’ll get another chance to bring him to life again.”
”Pancakes anyone?”
And I suppose we should put Viktor’s body back in the bag of holding for now—maybe we’ll get another chance to bring him to life again.”
”Pancakes anyone?”
“Bull and I cleaned up the body and gave it a small funeral rite,”Maka said gently. “Let the incense finish burning before we put him back in the bag. That’d just feel rude.”
With that, she moved over to the small cooking setup she’d pieced together, beginning to whip up a batch of pancake batter. “Saki, come join us! We can talk while I cook.” She said with a toothy grin, tossing a playful glance over her shoulder.
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Seeing Quasit emerge, Fin walks over to her. ”Q, I stayed back and scouted the perimeter of the camp after everyone left. There are no troops in the trenches; they’re all in the southern half of the camp, digging in; the troops in the towers all seemed to be fiddling around with something but what, I couldn’t tell…
“Did Maka tell you my plan? Before you say no, hear me out. Maka and I are not going to try to take the whole camp out; we’re just gonna target the troops and try to eliminate them. And even that, Maka will do attack from the air while I will fire from outside the camp’s fence. If we can eliminate the troops, then the horseman won’t be able to send repcements to man the towers…
“If things go south we can make a hasty retreat…but if it goes as planned, we’ll send the obsidian raven with a message to you for the rest of the party to teleport underneath the NW tower. Then you can get started on disabling the towers while the rest of us protect you from any remaining forces inside the camp…”
Fin pauses, taking a deep breath. ”So…what do you think, Q?”
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Seeing Quasit emerge, Fin walks over to her. ”Q, I stayed back and scouted the perimeter of the camp after everyone left. There are no troops in the trenches; they’re all in the southern half of the camp, digging in; the troops in the towers all seemed to be fiddling around with something but what, I couldn’t tell…
In spite of her previous jaunty bearing, Quasit seems impatient with fielding this report, crossing her arm and kicking the dirt as she listens. The last statement from Findurel gives her pause though. "Fiddling with something? In the towers? Huh. Wonder what that's about?"
“Did Maka tell you my plan?
Quasit shakes her head, almost dejectedly. She then listens while Findurel lays out the proposal.
"Before you say no, hear me out. Maka and I are not going to try to take the whole camp out; we’re just gonna target the troops and try to eliminate them. And even that, Maka will do attack from the air while I will fire from outside the camp’s fence. If we can eliminate the troops, then the horseman won’t be able to send repcements to man the towers…
“If things go south we can make a hasty retreat…but if it goes as planned, we’ll send the obsidian raven with a message to you for the rest of the party to teleport underneath the NW tower. Then you can get started on disabling the towers while the rest of us protect you from any remaining forces inside the camp…”
Fin pauses, taking a deep breath. ”So…what do you think, Q?”
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I do think maybe we should wait until that Zillazoot guy comes with our magical gear upgrades. It's not like another day or so is gonna make any difference at this point. And we sure aren't going back tonight."
She puts her hands on her hips and looks off into the woods as she continues to speak.
"They're probably restaffing all those towers as we speak. And it's not impossible that they might be able to bring in reinforcement, or turn a bunch of those dead soldiers into a horde of zombies, or summon some demons to roam the compound, or repair the battle wagons somehow. I've... we've been underestimating those jerks from the beginning."
"It's clear that there's no point in being sneaky any more. They're gonna be on high alert and watching for us from now on. And what I know about military tactics on alien worlds? That and 2 coppers will get you a cup of coffee in Absalom."
He reluctantly rises and makes for the front door; when he gets there, he nods to the skeleton dude as he asks, ”Bones, did that space merchant show up while we were gone?”
The Coffin Man looks up from his 1898125th game of solitaire to gaze at Fin. "None save you have come within these past few days," he replies.
He coughs, looking down at his cards and then up at Fin again. His skelatal visage continues to be hard to read, but something about the burning lights in his eye sockets seems almost... pleading.
"It's clear that there's no point in being sneaky any more. They're gonna be on high alert and watching for us from now on. And what I know about military tactics on alien worlds? That and 2 coppers will get you a cup of coffee in Absalom."
"Okay, that's enough planning talk! It's pancake time. Quasit needs to rest her brain." With a flick of her wrist, Maka ladled some batter onto a hot pan, letting it sizzle.
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He coughs, looking down at his cards and then up at Fin again. His skelatal visage continues to be hard to read, but something about the burning lights in his eye sockets seems almost... pleading.
Fin smiles wryly. ”Aye, I’ll play…gotta talk with Q, first, be back in just a few,” he says before going to see Quasit…
The last statement from Findurel gives her pause though. "Fiddling with something? In the towers? Huh. Wonder what that's about?"
Fin nods in agreement. ”Aye, I wondered the same…I can only conclude that it can’t be good…”
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it. I do think maybe we should wait until that Zillazoot guy comes with our magical gear upgrades. It's not like another day or so is gonna make any difference at this point. And we sure aren't going back tonight."
”Aye, I think we should wait for Z as well…and take your time to think about it. I only suggest it as Kal, Saki, and Bull have problems avoiding area spell damage…hmmm. You do not though…and if you are getting that short bow from Z, you could fire at range with me as well, not to mention test out those Sniper goggles…you might want to think of joining us, that is, if you approve the plan…”
"They're probably restaffing all those towers as we speak. And it's not impossible that...
”Aye, you can that to the bank…and it’s why I want to eliminate the soldiers. And if they replenish them with undead, I can more easily slay them…”
After talking with Quasit, Fin keeps his word and goes back in to see Bones. He takes a seat at the table, looks to the Coffin Man with his poker face, simply saying, ”Deal…”
The Coffin Man shuffles and deals with practiced skill, even another coughing fit not interrupting the motions.
"There has been much death these past days," he comments as he examines his hand.
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"There has been much death these past days," he comments as he examines his hand.
Fin nods as he checks his hole card. ”Aye…and although we lost Viktor, we’ve done more than our share of the killing…sometimes Bones, I wonder if that’s the only thing I’m good at…”
He tosses a few silvers in the pot. ”I bet five…”
Maka kept a close, almost conspicuous watch on Fin as he headed off to play cards with the bone man. Once he was out of earshot, she turned to Saki with a steady look. “Alright, Saki, we need to talk about you being mad at me about… well, sex and love and all that stuff.” She dropped it into the conversation like an explosion.
“Look, I don’t think you’re naive about sex and love because you only want it with one person. Lots of people feel that way, and that’s completely fine. Some people don’t want it at all, and that’s fine too.” Maka hesitated, feeling out her words. She wanted to clear the air but knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
"I think you're naive because you see sex and love as something that can be measured or possessed. As if its something with a value that others can affect. Like, because I give it out freely, it somehow makes yours less valuable. Or because you reserve it, it somehow has more worth than mine." She let out a heavy sigh, hoping she was getting her point accross.
"To me, its more like air or water. It doesn't have a price because its priceless. It's the stuff of life."
Maka took a deep breath, her gaze softening. "But I don't want you to be like me. I never have. I want you to be the best version of yourself. Maybe I came on too strong with my advice. I usually come on too strong. But I don't know what it takes to make a better you. Only you truly know that. I only know what works for me. And I wanted to share that, not change you."
"There has been much death these past days," he comments as he examines his hand.Fin nods as he checks his hole card. ”Aye…and although we lost Viktor, we’ve done more than our share of the killing…sometimes Bones, I wonder if that’s the only thing I’m good at…”
He tosses a few silvers in the pot. ”I bet five…”
"Death is the fate of all life," the Coffin Man replies, with what might be a smile as he doubles the bet.
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"Be right back, Hlao-roo, gonna go ask the door guard if he's seen or heard anything from the space merchant; we could really use those items before we go back to the camp..."
Sakitu pulled herself off of Fin's chest to allow him to get up. "You're right. We need those items. I hope they will arrive soon. Go see what you can find out. And you probably need to talk to Quasit too. Earlier Maka said she wanted to talk with me. I don't know what that's about but the sooner I get it over with the better."
She watched Fin head into the other room then went outside to find Maka serving up pancakes.
"Alright, Saki, we need to talk about you being mad at me about... well, sex and love and all that stuff."
Sakitu flushed instantly and looked around to see that no one else heard Maka. She lowered her head, avoiding eye contact, and stepped closer so that they could keep their voices quiet.
"Maka, I'm not mad at you. I mean, not anymore. But..."
"Look, I don't think you're naive about sex and love because you only want it with one person. Lots of people feel that way, and that's completely fine. Some people don't want it at all, and that's fine too."
Sakitu raised her eyes a little bit to watch Maka's face. This wasn't what she thought they were going to talk about.
"I think you're naive because you see sex and love as something that can be measured or possessed. As if its something with a value that others can affect. Like, because I give it out freely, it somehow makes yours less valuable. Or because you reserve it, it somehow has more worth than mine."
Thoughts raced in Sakitu's mind. The first phrase 'I think you're naive' stung. So it was true. There was Maka, the sophisticated, wordly, and knowledgeable epitome of a woman. And then there was poor, pathetic, naive little Sakitu who, thanks to all the gods, the wonderful Maka had felt sorry for enough to pull under her wing. Sakitu's flush deepened with embarrasment and the feelings of shame an inadequacy flooded and overwhelmed her.
"To me, its more like air or water. It doesn't have a price because its priceless. It's the stuff of life."
Maka took a deep breath, her gaze softening. "But I don't want you to be like me. I never have. I want you to be the best version of yourself. Maybe I came on too strong with my advice. I usually come on too strong. But I don't know what it takes to make a better you. Only you truly know that. I only know what works for me. And I wanted to share that, not change you."
Tears welled up in Sakitu's eyes and her chin quivered. All of Maka's words past that first condemnation were lost on her. She only heard the echo of Maka's judgement and affirmation of her own inferiority. Did Quasit feel that way too? And was that why Bulvi was so friendly to her? Kalchine? Selena? What about Fin? Maybe he only paid attention to her like a mother hen taking care of a chick.
This was too much for her. She covered her face with her hands, spun away from Maka and raced back into the house. The chicken house, none-the-less. She really was a chick seeking comfort from the mother hen.
There was Maka, the sophisticated, wordly, and knowledgeable epitome of a woman.
This was too much for her. She covered her face with her hands, spun away from Maka and raced back into the house. The chicken house, none-the-less. She really was a chick seeking comfort from the mother hen.
"Wait, no, come back!" Maka called after Saki, her voice filled with desperation. "Ugh, why did I open my big dumb mouth!?
Maka’s heart raced, watching Saki retreat, and she felt a sinking ache in her chest. Maka had been trying to apologize to Saki. She hadn’t meant to hurt her, and her mind spun with ways to fix this, torn between chasing her friend and fearing she’d make things worse.
Her eyes widened, tears starting to pool. “Should I have started with telling her she’s too strong to keep holding back in fights? Should I go tell her that now? Or should I… just never talk to her again!?” Maka asked as she turned to Quasit for help.
Selena spent much of this time researching so she can help disable the magical side of these contraptions.
The next morning she does pause long to present an idea to Quasit and Fin,
”Hey Fin, Quasit. I’m thinking we should probably make a few attacks on the camp, not necessarily to make a full attempt to complete our mission yet, but rather to accomplish two things, first, to make these attacks from a variety of directions to get the defenders to spread out, and second, to whittle down their numbers slowly so we have fewer of them to deal with when we make our actual full strike. Oh, and a third reason, so they won’t know whether we are making a short raid or a full strike. Lull them into a sense of us just making raids, then on our full strike, we can attack then hide in a building somewhere to make them think it was just another raid while we stealthily deal with the devices.”
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While being button-holed by Findurel about his observations and proposals, Quasit also had a background awareness of Maka proselytizing Sakitu about diversity in sexual mores as she flipped pancakes.
By the time Findurel was heading back inside, Quasit was aware of how things were proceeding by the cook fire, and sure enough, moments later, Sakitu was rushing off in a fresh burst of tears and self-doubt. Quasit lowers her head and reaches up to pinch the bridge of her nose to try and ward off the gathering headache. And then Maka came rushing over, nearly as upset. Every once in a while, Quasit wished she was traveling exclusively with men.
”Calm down, you know how Saki is.” says Quasit in her mommy voice. ”Just leave her alone for a bit. From what I heard, you didn’t say anything you need to apologize for. But… gods bless you Maka, you come on pretty strong about the sex stuff sometimes. I think you just freaked her out a bit. You can’t yell in a rabbit’s ear and not expect it to run.”
She looks around the camp and sighs. ”Everybody’s just tired and discouraged. Except maybe you. Give her 15 or 20 minutes, then take her a couple pancakes and tell her you love her and have her call you a poopyhead if it’ll make her feel better. By that time, Fin will have had a chance to find her and to hlao-roo her a few times and nuzzle her cheek, so she should be calmer. And in the meantime, you can loan me that plum wine jug for about an hour.”
While she says this last sentence with a jokey smirk, her eyes seem pretty serious.
But… gods bless you Maka, you come on pretty strong about the sex stuff sometimes. I think you just freaked her out a bit. You can’t yell in a rabbit’s ear and not expect it to run.”
"But I was trying to apologize for that!" Maka moaned, playing with the end of her braid anxiously.
She looks around the camp and sighs. ”Everybody’s just tired and discouraged. Except maybe you. Give her 15 or 20 minutes, then take her a couple pancakes and tell her you love her and have her call you a poopyhead if it’ll make her feel better. By that time, Fin will have had a chance to find her and to hlao-roo her a few times and nuzzle her cheek, so she should be calmer. And in the meantime, you can loan me that plum wine jug for about an hour.”
While she says this last sentence with a jokey smirk, her eyes seem pretty serious.
Maka nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Yeah... alright, that sounds like a good idea.” She focused on her jug, turning the water inside into plum wine before handing it to Quasit with a grateful smile.
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Fin's eyes furrow as the Coffin Man raises yet again after the fourth card of this hand reveals ace, giving him at least a pair; seeing how Fin has a bad hand that one more card cannot help, he folds...
...and then suddenly jumps as he sees Sakitu enter the Hut, eyes filled with tears, fleeing thru the room. The Elf nods to the Coffin Man, saying, "Sorry, Bones, gotta see what's wrong; I'll be back later tonight when everyone's gone to sleep and we can finish it..."
Fin then rushes off, finding Sakitu huddled up in the corner of the adjoining room. He sits down next to her, putting a gentle arm around her, lightly stroking her hair with the other. After a couple of minutes, he whispers lightly into her ear, "Hlao-roo, whatever's wrong, we'll get through it. Do you want to talk about it?"