In the way of an unfamiliar desert, the terrain seems to repeat over and over even as the miles pass by under your feet. The smell of ozone tickles your nose as a roiling, crashing lightning storm hangs heavily in the sky above you, following you south. Streaks of red, yellow, and orange celerity light the dark thunderheads like fireworks from within.
The light here does not dim. Volcano, or whatever lives in that dazzling, distant core, is not subject to any daily show of weakness. Instead, it is your sore feet and tired legs that declare it is time to rest.
"Well, hopefully with the lack of wanton sacrificing things like that won't happen like they used to." replies Inam. "And, he is correct. One must stay watchful. We hope to avoid any bloodshed we can...but alas there are times it's unavoidable."
"You and your companion there have quite the partnership. Raise it as your own?"
"Yes, we've been together since we were both much younger. Fighting is a way of life to us, I couldn't even imagine life without danger." Sequoya replies running a hand down Mishipeshu's neck. "Or without him fighting by my side."
Ibinu crashes, trying to cover his head up as much as possible to drown out the glare, "I'll take second watch, wake me in four."
I gotta get me a tent if we are traveling like this again.
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'...I couldn't imagine life without danger...fighting...a way of life...'
The words of their new companion echo through her mind as she looks sideways towards them. 'No! It's not the Warrior's way. Judge them by their actions...not prejudice. That's what Edoardo taught us...in that diner...' eyes glassing over as she drifts back to that first stray from the proper.
Snapping her head towards Ibinu as he announces his choice, she nods. "Will do. Sleep well and we'll keep you safe."
"Kallik, if you're ok with first watch, I'll take third. I can do my prayers during it to save us some time. That work for you? Hopefully we reach the City in early tomorrow....but hard to tell in this place."
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"It is good the two of you have each other then. Danger lurks everywhere."
Shaking her head in the negative, "I do not need for sleep much anymore. I will watch though out the night. We won't have to stay here for as long. So get some rest."
Inam and Ibinu sleep deep and long, under Kallik's watching eye. There is something of the forest in that gaze, something primal like a hunting cat's stare, a wild and protective glint.
The night--if such a blazing baleful inferno of incandescence can be called anything but day--passes quietly, save for the sporadic thunderclap here and there. The wind, hot like the air from an ifrit oven, rolls the flecks and grains of ash, reshaping the dunes imperceptibly. A few crawling things, lizard-like, skitter around you, but never too near - they are too small to be a threat.
After several long hours, the core of the world lights up brighter still, like a spell or alchemy experiment gone out of control. Even with your eyes covered, the overwhelming whiteness blasts its way in, blinding all of you for a full minute. When your eyes clear, Volcano has returned to its normal state.
A new day has begun on Igniscoeli.
Sequoya originally stays up with Mishipeshu, accustomed to keeping watch when anywhere foreign. After a while though, seeing Kallik's vigilance, the huntress lays down, the mighty cat curling up around her as they rest.
After a candle or two of travel, you see serpentine figures, like snakes from a nightmare, grouped--perhaps nine or ten of them--at the top of the next dune. There is a clanking of metal - you can see the snakes go heavily armored, leaving only their oily yellow eyes visible. The segmented plates of steel slide over one another, making a strange whining music.
A coughing, lipless hiss of a language comes from one of the snakes, punctuated by guttural vowels and the occasional puff of smoke.
"Softskins! Do you seek Incus, or be you lost fools?"
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Ibinu translates the rough greeting and replies as best he can, repeating the words "Seek Incus" back to them. His throat is sore from just the effort.
A pair of the armored snakes slithers forward a few feet. One of the snakes points its head at you while the second snake hisses, "If you are the speaker, who is your master?" The first snake keeps its yellow eyes locked on Ibinu, while the impossibly green eyes of the second roam over Inam, Kallik, and Sequoya.
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Keeping her gaze outward until Sequoya and Mishipeshu decide to go to sleep. Occasionally throughout her watch her gaze drifts from the bright landscape to each of her companions. The mythical phoenix and the far to kind sylph of Volcano. Pale flesh a stark contrast to the dark armor and the ashy landscape. The slowly growing horns on Ibinu's head, another change the el has gone though, though he seems more at peace with it than when they first meet. There there is the other two. The plant like feline and the oread both dragging the forest with them. Tracing her fingers along the veins of green on marble colored hands though out the remainder of her time alone.
Keeping to the back as they move though the bleak landscape and keeping her gaze part forwards and part backwards. Scowling at the serpentine creatures but not responding. Of all the masters of this group it is not her. Glancing at Inam and then Ibinu. Mumbling, "It's not me and you two have ties to this place."
Ibinu also looks over at his allies and then shrugs, "My master is Cauldron Lady." He points at Inam, "hers is The Warrior." he waves at the oreads, "The others are our allies."
He grimaces, I don't know if it is worse that my throat burns when I speak that language or if I'm starting to enjoy it.
The same snake, Greeneyes, continues talking. "Allies...?" The pair, Greeneyes and Yelloweyes, look at one another, then back to you. "Useful slaves?"
"I am no slave!" Sequoya says in a low growl, expressionless behind her helm, though the oread's body language makes her readiness for conflict quite clear.
She glances to Inam, following the sylph's lead for now since she seemed leader of the group.
Ibinu's brow furrows and then he simply shrugs, "Useful, yes. Who are you?"
Let us see if we can skate by this one until we meet someone smarter.
Crossing her arms to avoid grabbing the axe but not able to bite back the growl that crawls its way out of her throat.
"I am named Ssuh-Luhss, owned by my master Sshunss-Lak-Sa, one of the Lords of Incus. Who asks such questions? Where is your smoke?" This last question is punctuated with a thin stream of black smoke issuing from Green's slitted nostrils. Yelloweyes continues to look all around while Greeneyes talks, even back toward the other snakes.
You notice all the snakes are arranged in pairs, five pairs in all. The two heads are obviously independent, but you cannot tell from this distance if they are two heads of the same beast or separate beings closely entwined. They are all heavily armored, and--for now--they are preternaturally still. A score of reptilian eyes gauge you.
Considering the situation carefully....well as carefully as she considers anything, Inam steps up next to Ibinu.
"We are from another land under the Mighty Ones protection. We wish to seek an audience with the one that rules in Incus. We've some requests to pursue with your leader."
"We certainly wish to see no harm comes to his charges in the process."
Nine heads, Yellow included, snap toward Greeneyes. He is reptile-still for two calculating seconds. White smoke trickles as he says, "Yes. You know best." Green and Yellow both perform a strange-looking backward bow that speaks to Ibinu of obeisance. From this vantage you see now they are indeed two heads of the same beast.
The snakes travel effortlessly; their segmented armor glides smoothly, swish, over the ash. The slight squeaks when the plates rub together creates an alien marching rhythm that the snakes all seem to keep time to. Ssuh-Luhss occasionally puffs a single black cloud from one nostril or the other, giving the troops slight corrections in their path. The double-headed creatures remain in precise formation as they move.
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Ibinu follows along, now that Inam has indicated a resumption of a leadership role. He is not bored as his mind takes in all the new information.
Segmented Armor that moves with the snake's swishing motion, that is genius. I wonder how it works. Probably a complicated set of attachments to allow maxium flex. I'm guessing it weakens the armor in general, but only to a small degree. Maybe you could get away with chain link armor in between the plates. So you need a pivot point, could just use one or two links there and then as it gets farther away to maximum flex on each side you just increase the amount of links...
...their snorts of smoke are definitely part of the language. Or could just be like hand signals. Actually, that makes more sense. They don't have hands, duh. There is some use for that in their language though as well, I doubt I'll ever be able to speak it completely unless I develop a way to produce smoke... hmmm.
After a half candle of travel, you notice deep ruts in the ash - some large cart, wider than a house, recently came this way. Up ahead, lying in the ruts, you see several dead snakes, their bodies crushed and mangled. Your escorts take little notice of them.
As you pass by, you of the snakes lifts its head and coughs out a few words - a plea for help. Again, none of your escorts so much as turn their heads to the sound.
Slowing as they approach, Inam frowns. "Uh...guys..." she calls out as their escorts slither on by.
Recognizing at least one still lives...even if barely, she stops. "Hey! This one needs help!" she calls out, kneeling before it. 'They probably didn't realize their companion was still alive. I'm sure they've seen enough death in this place for it to become second nature to them.'
"It's ok little one. Volcano still desires your aid." mumbles the sylph, reaching a hand outward as it begins to glow. "This may sting a bit..." **ZAP**
The energy suddenly releases into the creature.
As Inam reaches out to lend aid, Etrah flutters down a few feet in front of her.
*Phoomp* as the ashes billow around him, he eyes their escorts. 'This could be bad...they may have caused this situation young one....why don't you think ahead before you act!'
Sequoya watches carefully, her eyes more on the snakes for a reaction than on Inam, her grip on her bow and the shift of her weight clearly expecting violence. There was nothing to indicate these snakes were in any way allied to the ones that callously ignored their plight.
Moving behind Inam and letting her hand drift to the axe on her back. Glancing at Ibinu, "You might be translating a fight."
Ibinu slips a small flask of acid out of his pocket with a wry smile and whispers back, "that... I can do."
The dying snake suddenly surges upward with a disturbing quickness. A forked tongue, shockingly blue and thick as an elen's finger, eagerly slides around Inam's hand, seeking more of the healing energy. It is wet, and tickles in a revolting way. Instinctively, you pull your hand back.
It continues searching the air, curious. It looks around in a dull manner, not truly seeing Inam or any of the others. You see now the creature bears but a single head.
Ssuh-Luhss remains impassive, but you all notice as the other four snake-pairs are drawn toward Inam. Some merely taste the air with clever tongues, others are bold enough to slither forward several feet. Even on such alien visages, the body language is unmistakable: hunger.
Staggering back instinctively, she shrieks "What in that...What is this madness?"
Choking back more screams, she pleads "Please get off of me...please get back. This isn't proper."
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE'
Taking flight as a chuckle explodes from his beak, Etrah smiles. "I suspect we have discovered a food source of theirs."
Making a slow circle over the sylph, he watches the movements of the slithering beasts.
'This information could come in handy....but could prove problematic as well.'
Ssuh-Luhss watches the other snakes carefully. When one of the two-heads quickens toward Inam, Greeneyes, the left head of Ssuh-Luhss, lets out a horrible, ear-rending shriek.
The slave before you suddenly stiffens as the metal armor that encases it crumples and dents inward around its head and neck, cutting off its airway. Metallic spikes sprout on the inside and outside of the armor, and blood pours onto the drifting ash. While the poor creature writhes and dies, Ssuh-Luhss screams, "The next to approach the emissaries of the Mighty Ones will meet a similar fate! Back, and control yourselves!"
The four companions of Ssuh-Luhss all snap their attention toward Greeneyes, then relax. They slowly slither away from Inam, though one, an amber-eyed beast, glances back a second time before turning away for good.
The slave at your feet croaks out a gurgling nothing as the last of its lifeblood is soaked up by the dune.
Ssuh-Luhss slithers over, voice low and urgent. Speaking to Ibinu, it says, "We would have expected strength from such champions. Instead we see nurses. Instead we see hesitation when threatened. Even if you are under the protection of the Mighty Ones, we cannot protect you from your own weakness."
It turns, armor whining a faint tune, and continues toward Incus, following the deep ruts in the ash.
Ibinu simply replies with a clear threat, "Strength is not always shown in the simplest terms, it is very easy to murder, especially those physically weaker than you. True strength is knowing when one MUST kill. Do that again to another slave and we will show you the answer to that question."
Assuming combat does not commence though, as the group moves on he shares what he warned Ssuh-Luhss about with his allies and adds, "This is not Hearth, but we will not change who we are to fit in. I expect this will cause us problems."
Growling but there is no reason to say anything at the moment. Putting a hand on Inam's shoulder and mumbling, "Are you alright?"
Looking over at the hostility in Ibinu's voice and wait a beat for him to translate that last interaction. Nodding at him, "We said and as much as I would love to see their blood on the ground we cannot fight a city." [
"If it is mercilessness in battle they value, that can be delivered" Seqouya mutters dangerously.
After following the trail for another half candle, you see something over the dune. Just the top of sharp points at first, far off in the distance - like the spear points of titans. The Towers of Incus. Impossibly tall, attacking the sky, more and more of the spires come into view over the next several ash dunes. Fifty. One hundred. It is a bristling city. A bed of nails.
Over the last ash dune, and now you see the walls - a million or more iron longspears, all welded together over yards and miles. The sharp wall is over thirty feet tall, a razor-tipped trap that is both protection and prison.
Closer now. The gates are a mosaic of metals - a hundred reptile heads--copper, gold, silver, iron, steel--bearing a hundred different expressions. Angry iron. Imperious gold. Hissing steel.
Closer. The spearwall is also flecked with bits of obsidian that glitter evilly in the scorching light of Volcano. The wall's height becomes real now, and the gate looms like a true beast of a hundred heads. You notice that the fangs of each head jut out slightly, like daggers.
Without hesitation, one of the other two-heads approaches a face upon the gate - angry iron. The snake bows its right head and presses it upon one of the jutting teeth, leaving the sharp point bloody. Once blooded, the iron face slides open just a fraction, allowing the snake to wiggle inside. The other pairs do likewise, upon different faces of the gate.
Ssuh-Luhss watches you, making sure you are paying attention. "A blood price to enter the city - strength for strength." He pays obeisance to an impassive bronze face and murmurs, "The Conqueror is master." It slithers through the gap. The bronze tooth drips crimson, a predator well sated.
"Seriously? I do hope it doesn't come to that." she replies to the fellow sylph.
Feeling the touch of her stony companion, her features visibly soften. "Yes...yes. I'm ok I think. Just...I...well... I've never had anyone react to me in such a fashion before. It was a bit...disconc...umm. A bit of a surprise."
Glancing towards the new pair, she frowns quickly. "Lets hope it can be avoided." Her eyes dart back towards their escorts and Inam sighs. "Though if it must be, I'm sure you'll be an asset."
Watching the passage, Inam's face recoils before she can stop it. 'Really?! This is barbaric!'
Regaining her composure, she nods and steps up to the edge of the gate. Inspecting the heads intently, she decides on an obsidian one at eye-level. Rather than bowing, she leans into it pushing the tooth inward. "I'm no slave, but I understand the sacrifice."
His disapproval hidden, Etrah quickly bows and pushes a copper tooth in.
'Really Inam? Of all the times to... you're determined to get us killed aren't you?'
Taking a slow breath, he smiles towards Ssuh-Luhss "We thank you for your guidance thus far."
Seqouya studies the entrances with a blank expression, her disdain unspoken for now. "You require all who enter to shed blood at your gates?" she asks, seeking confirmation.
Mishipeshu growls low in the back of his throat.
Ibinu shrugs and adds to his allies, "Let's show them our strength. Those weaklings barely had enough to open a small gap and slither through. I expect our might combined might actually open a decent gap and show this city we aren't here to waste their time... and not to mess with us."
He moves up to the fiercest looking pissed off tooth spike on the wall and waits for his allies to find their own, "As one, together and united, 3... 2... 1..." and with a flash his hands become viciously long draconic claws and he slams them both into the spike.
Staring up at the fanged door. Makes sense in a violent way. Having to bleed for them for them to let you in. Better be worth it. Tightening her hands into fist and feeling her nails dig into her palm. Sighing at her slyph's non-refusal an walking closer to the wall.
Bringing her hand up to a hissing iron. Waiting for Ibinu's countdown before pressing her palm into the fang.
Ibinu, you find a raging iron face, an ancient and feral thing. Without hesitation, you plunge your hands deep onto the blood-stained iron fangs. You feel the latent celerity--found in the blood of many sylphs--in your body drain.
Kallik, you find an ugly, pitted iron right next to Ibinu. As the point pierces your skin, you feel some of your wild fey magic escape, sucked through a greedy iron straw.
Inam, you feel a hunger from the obsidian tooth that you reminds you much too clearly of the questing blue tongue of that overeager snake. Your healing mercy is gorged upon obscenely.
And then the pain comes.
And then the metallic snake-faces start to change. The iron in front of Ibinu grows a deep cobra-hood of steel, and a gold circlet with a small red ruby in the center. A snake-formed aspect of the Cauldron Lady.
Inam's obsidian gains a look of tall, noble bearing that naturally commands respect. A red ruby--like the warning colors of a black widow--in the shape of a sword follows the neck downward. The Warrior.
And Kallik's iron, in between Inam and Ibinu, is simply gone. There is now a six-foot wide gap separating the newly-altered Snake-Warrior and Cauldron-Snake.
Beyond the hole, your escorts are standing utterly still.
Growling a bit more, Sequoya steps up to a head of jade, bringing the heel of her hand to the point of the wicked fang, and squeezing her hand tight as the blood begins to flow, the fingers of her other hand entwined in Mishipeshu's grassy mane. Her expression is unbridled defiance.
Seqouya
The jade face--a leering trickster's grin, repulsive in the shape of a snake--opens begrudgingly, just enough for you and Mishipeshu to slide through. The jade gate snaps shut behind you.
You had walked twenty feet away to find the jade face. Somehow, climbing through the gate has magnified that distance - the phoenix girl, the horned sylph, and the axe-wielding East Triber are nearly one hundred feet away now.
A one-head, fifteen feet away or less, tastes the air around it with swirling tongue and dead eyes. Its head points at you, but the eyes do not focus. Hiss, taste. It wears no metal- its armor is a bestitched nightmare of leathers and scaled skin. Ten feet now. It smells of wet rotten hides and unwashed reptilian musk.
Sequoya draws her axe as the dead looking snake approaches, not outright attacking but ready to do so should its actions become hostile. Wordlessly the huntress and her companion begin to move apart, preparing to attack from opposite directions should it come to that.
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Smiling at the void left behind. Looking down at the huntress and her forest cat and waiting to step though until those two also step though the over-sized gate. Growling at the sudden distance. A snarl crawls out of her throat, "Run."
The strong flavor of licorice fills her mouth and both the sylph's mouths. Immediately running towards the now armed Sequoya and drawing her white blade while moving
Two oreads wielding axes light and dark approach the hissing, alien creature, on guard for any sign of hostility. Kallik is a blur, almost a hunting cat herself as she hurtles over the smooth iron street to intercept the snake.
But the snake just hiss, tastes one last time, and starts to move away. Strapped to its back are a bundle of very long swords, perhaps twenty or more.
Sequoya halts her stalking approach, with Mishipeshu halting beside her. Seeing Kallik racing toward them to engage, she gives the other oread a smile, appreciating her readiness to strike.