In a completely unsurprising turn of events, I have adopted a kitten. Poor girl would have died within a week without help. She is going to be housed at an animal refuge in Meowrocco while we wait for her to be shipped to the Meowtherlands.
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Off on holiday to Meowrocco from April 20th to May 6th. Posting will be slow, please bot as needed.
Fire-shooting swords? What sorcery was this? With a snarl, Inja moves in to savage the third guard, assisted by Yama.
Inja and Yama pad towards the guards, circling around to come at them from opposite directions.
Inja and Yama pad silently down the hall, still flanking the little one. As they move, the cloud of fine sand raised by the others' movement causes both of them to sneeze.
I am out of the country for a conference next week and my posting rate will slow down as my schedule is absolutely packed, and sandwiched between 11-hour flights. Bot Inja and Yama as needed.
Inja had started growling menacingly at the unrepentant soldiers, but the bird man had been quicker and now their life's blood was draining on the floor. There was some other commotion and then a very loud noise, which made her wince and paw at her ears. The bird man and the little one seemed to be in trouble though, so she takes up position near the little one, butting her head affectionately against her to let her know it was alright and Inja and Yama were right there to protect her, one on either side of the little one with the warm magic. It looked like there would be more fighting ahead, so Inja takes the time to invoke some protections on herself and Yama.
Inja sits heavily on her hindquarters and begins to lick her wounds, not paying much attention to the jabbering of people around her. It was always thus when she shifted form - her instincts took over and everything else... faded. She had been reckless in jumping behind enemy lines as she had, letting herself be almost surrounded with little back-up or support from the rest of the party. The murder bird had been a sight to behold, but she could have used some of that warm healing magic from the little one - and speaking of magic, she had some of her own which she would have been wise to employ before leaping into the fray. But what was done was done. She had seen prey and had gone for it. And the prey was now mostly dead. She turns her head to the blue mage and yawns. Another worthy hunter, that one, although his methods threatened to leave one's whiskers singed.
Bleeding from numerous wounds, Inja is starting to reconsider her tactics. She had allowed bloodlust to take over her judgement, and now she was cornered behind enemy lines, with the soldiers thirsty for her blood. Hoping that Yama will soon come to her aid, she hunkers down into a defensive posture, swiping at the soldier now sandwiched between herself and Pazeek. She spares a moment to admire the bird's elegant strikes and the carnage they leave behind. Rolls:
Inja snaps at the soldier passing by her, but her fangs close on empty air. She ducks under the other soldier's weapon, hopping back and turning her attention towards another soldier, boxing him in between herself and the bird man.
Yama joins the fray, growling deep in her throat and tearing at the soldiers with fang and claw.
Inja in her animal form is a study in power and grace, sleek muscles playing under her fur and claws scraping the stone floor as she charge straight at the line of soldiers. She leaps and bounces off Tsakua's shield, angling to the left where Pazeek is laying into the enemy. She pounces on a surprised archer, tearing into them with a roar.
*Lurking intensifies*
The air shimmers around Inja as her human form contorts and seems to expand and contract at the same time in an eye-bending paradox. Hairs sprout through her skin, turning into fur that covers her from head to toe, her fangs lengthen, claws spring from her flexing finger. She bends at the waist and falls on all fours, her paws hitting the floor with soft thuds. Her tail is lashing the air and a low growl emits from her throat. She takes a couple of leaps forward, intent on charging the barricade, but the wash of heat from the wizard's fireball drives her back and she shakes her head in confusion for a moment.
This Octavian was a fellow after her own heart, after all. She had had some doubts at the beginning, but seeing him now, boldly striding forward and wrecking the door... Inja grins a fang-filled grin, her eyes gleaming. "It is a good thought, priestess, but the time for subtlety is past. Now we tear the flesh and break the bones of those who stand in our path." At her side, Yama growls loudly. Inja is itching to have a swing at the door herself, but that one is Octavian's to wreck. Maybe there will be more doors, and more foolish guards to try and stop them. She wipes the blood off the tip of her spear as splinters fly off.
Inja surveys the slaughter in the temple, and her anger is great. She did not care about blasphemy, as Octavian did, but these followers of Elaran were worse than the humans! In a time when they should have stood united against the human tide threatening to drown them all, this foolish, selfish Illidari was throwing one of the last bastions of the non-humans into civil war and summoning a disaster upon the city! Her muscles tense, claws sprouting from the tops of her fingers. She doesn't waste time with words and simply leaps at the guards barring their way, charging with the spear held under her right arm, intent on skewering the one in front of her while Yama circles from the left towards the same target.
"Finally, some direction in this chaos." Inja lets out a whoop as she sets out at a jog towards the temple. It is strange, she feels that she should feel more concern and anguish about the fate of the city, but what she does feel is only the anticipation and the thrill of battle. Perhaps it is because she is still feeling the triumph of the arena duel, and is hungering for her own glory. Perhaps it is because she hasn't spent that much time in this city yet, hasn't made it hers.
"At this rate, your master will rule over ruins! It is he who is the fool!" Inja shouts at the defeated and bound brute, enraged. What was this madness? As the guards rush up to them, she nods eagerly, a piercing whistle calling Yama at her side as woman and lioness start loping towards the walls. "We fight." is the entirety of her reply to Tsakua, but the grin she once had before their shared bouts of combat is gone, replaced with a grim expression. She points with her chin at the breach in the walls, where the guards were battling the earthen creatures. Turning her head to look at Bree, she adds. "Little one, come. You can ride on Yama, it will be faster. Or one of us can carry you."
Inja brandishes her spear in the air victoriously as Tsakua deftly pulls the length of rope around the challenger. Her celebration is interrupted as chaos and mayhem erupts outside the city; hiding her face in the crook of her arm, eyes squeezed shut against the blowing sand, she turns away from the storm blast, waiting for it to subside. When it does so, she whips her spear in the air again, this time accompanied by a rallying cry. "To arms! To arms! Foes! To arms!" She hops down into the ring, throwing Tsakua his equipment in a sack. By the sound of things, they were going to need every edge they had to face whatever was coming. Shading her eyes against the dust and sand, she looks over the desert. "What is the thing? Has the king of sandwurms we encountered on our way here been raised from the dead?"
"Truss him up, Tsakua!" Inja yells as she unhooks a coil of rope from her belt and tosses it to the half-orc. What a humiliation for Elaran's champion, to be defeated without even the use of a weapon, and manhandled - or rather, orc-handled - in such a way. She grins broadly, fangs glinting.
Before she knows it, Inja is on her feet, half-crouched in a defensive posture. Her claws have slipped free, the hair all over her body is standing on end and she is snarling at the unseen menace with a mouth full of sharp fangs. By her side, Yama starts growling, a deep, rumbling sounds that almost melts into the background tremor. Leaping onto the edge the arena, she shouts to Tsakua. "Finish that piece of dung quickly, we have work to do!" Hoping that her presence and appearance will at least distract the brute, she starts circling the rim, thumping rhythmically with the butt of her spear on the stone and chanting. "Cho-sen! Cho-sen! Cho-sen!" She gestures with her other hand at the crowd, encouraging them to pick up the chant.
Their group was certainly striking as they entered the arena, Inja and Yama one step behind Tsakua and flanking him like honour guards. Since she wasn't going to fight as a champion, Inja was wearing all her new gear, including the strange ring that she had found in her room. She picks a spot close to the champion's entrance, in case she needs to come to Tsakua's aid; she didn't doubt the half-orc's prowess in battle, but they were dealing with a treacherous lot, and it would be naive to expect a fair fight from them. Tilting her head, she gives Bree a nod across the arena, where the gnome is sitting in the Lucarin box. The poor girl had been on edge recently, and Inja imagined that being left alone in circumstances that were likely to turn violent did nothing to put her at ease. Stretching her legs out and throwing her arms across the seat backrest, Yama sitting on her haunches by her left leg, ears attentive, Inja surveys the crowd and their response to Tsakua's challenge.
Inja nods at Arion's words. "We are already geared up. But if it is in the depths of the desert, it may be too far to scout. Still. We need to know what is happening." Come, Yama. Hunt is afoot.
It looked like many plans were being set in motion, an entire political upheaval of the Illidari city. While the politics aspects of it didn't interest her much beyond the simple fact that supporting Octavian's mother would get things done, Inja couldn't suppress her excitement at the whole idea of it - they were taking part in a revolution! At last, they would no longer let others dictate their destiny. She thinks of the refugees she has been training in the last few days, how many of them had blossomed once they realized that they can do something, rather than wait for others to decide their fate. It was rewarding and a little humbling at the same time, to see the change one could inspire in people. Standing up, she rolls her shoulders and pats herself to make sure that all her gear was in place. Nodding to Tsakua and Octavian, she says simply "We're ready." At the sound of her voice, Yama stops rolling in the sunbeams on the floor and clambers up to pad to Inja's side, her massive paws rasping on the marble tiles.
Inja shrugs easily at Jasmine's words. "As you wish, but when it is time to fight just call on me. Yama and I will show no mercy to these slavers. Until then..." She rises, pushing back her chair and nodding at Alreena and Octavian. "I will continue to train the refugees. Many of them are eager to take their fate into their own hands and stop being easy prey. And perhaps the slavers will have a harder time of abducting them as well."
Inja looks thoughtful as Octavian urges his mother to take control. "Every pack needs a leader. Elaran would make a bad leader. You... I don't know yet, but that you would ask our opinion speaks in your favour. And if an empress is what we need to get things moving in the right direction..." She shrugs, tossing a slice of ham to Yama, who devours it and puts a paw on Inja's knee, begging for more. "As for the slavers, that is very bad. Jasmine, if you could use Yama and myself, we will do whatever we can to aid you in rooting out this slaver group. Sentient beings should be free, this is an abomination."
"With the refugees being trained and they are developing their own armed forces, its not helping the situation.” Inja's lip curls in disgust. "I am not concerned with your politics. These people will have to fight the humans at some point. I would not have them helpless and unarmed just to soothe some people's ruffled feathers." She considers for a moment; after all, House Lucarin has been extremely hospitable so far, no need to aggravate its matron, who, after all, was just doing her best. "Do you have suggestions?", she asks Alreena.
Inja drops to one knee and wraps Yama in a fierce hug, ruffling her bloodied fur. "Well done, girl! Well done!" Grinning, she rises and walks over to Tsakua, gripping the half-orc's forearm in a warrior's salute. "You fought well, my friend! They didn't expect the shield trick, haha! And I wouldn't mind a good cut of meat myself, fighting makes you hungry, doesn't it?" She turns to the pit master, still grinning, expectant.
As one of the daggers wielded by the lightly-armored fighter scores her arm, Inja snarls in her face, giving her a close-up look of her fangs. She whips up the butt of her spear, aiming for the woman's chin. Meanwhile, Yama's growl grows louder as the lioness renews her attack on her target.
Inja laughs loudly and wipes the blood off her arm, contemplating the damage inflicted as her opponent falls to her knees, dazed and bleeding.
Yama snaps at the backside of the fighter that Inja had engaged with her spear, then swats the woman twice with her powerful paws, growling all the while.
Inja says nothing as the three warriors make their appearance, merely grins and sniffs the air in their direction. Letting Tsakua charge at them, she prowls to the sides, Yama coming from the opposite direction. Their tactics are those of a pride - cut off one from the pack, run it down and overwhelm it. They go for the weaker targets - the young, the injured - and pounce when the time is right. Once Inja has arranged the hunting grounds to her liking, preferably with the light- or medium-armored warrior between herself and Yama, she strikes.
"Aye, me too. Name's Inja. I'll even make you a two-for-one deal." She grins as she gestures to the lioness. "Don't worry, she's trained, won't maim or kill anyone if I tell her not to." Yama yawns hugely in response. "So, what are the rules?"
"Fighting? Don't mind if I do. Could use the exercise after all the soft living we've been doing lately. Eh, Yama?" Inja thumps the lioness on the rump as she grins at Tsakua. "Maybe you can teach me that shield trick you did just now, aaaah, the look on his face." She snorts with renewed amusement as she recalls the stuck-up, self-important priest being taken down a notch.
Like Pazeek and Breewyn, Inja also retrieves her possessions from the Lucarin estate before doing anything else. She didn't have much - she didn't need much - but a part of her wanted to put on a good show for these arrogant blueskins. Dressed in practical clothing of fine make and gripping her spear, she cuts an impressive figure, if only for sheer size and physical power.
As the guards level their spears at their group, Inja's immediate reaction is to snarl at them, in unison with Yama. She has had enough of this pointless squabbling and is burning to take the fight to the humans. Why can't these illidari not understand this? They are wasting their time with arguments and talking, talking, TALKING! She flexes her fingers, feeling the push of her claws beneath the skin, yearning to break free and fight, like her.
"Just keep a sharp eye on your valuables, though. I can guarantee we'll meet some sticky-clawed birds with very flexible ideas of property ownership." Inja raises her arms away from her sides to better emphasize her simple attire. "I have nothing worth stealing. Except for my heart." she adds with a wink to the Tengu. All the squabbling in the council chamber had made her impatient and uncomfortable. There were so many things to do, so many preparations to make, and these people were wasting time arguing with far too many words. It was blindingly obvious to her what needed to be done, but apparently some people had their head buried deep in the desert sand. Clicking her tongue to get Yama's attention, who had wandered off and was lounging in a sunny spot on the floor, she also moves to Pazeek's side, smiling down at the gnome in a manner that is meant to be reassuring. "You'll be safe with us, don't worry." She makes sure that none of the Ilidari are looking their way before she raises a hand for Breewyn to see; as she curls and flexes her fingers, black polished claws spring from their tips for a brief moment, then retract.
Inja listens to the self-proclaimed humble tailor, her eyebrows steadily rising. She couldn't tell if he was right or wrong, but that was an impressive list. As he reaches his last point, she gives a curt nod. Speaking more to herself and Yama, she almost growls. "War, yes. That is what we can help with."
"Aye. Nothing stays hidden forever. And the humans are gathering strength every passing day." Inja adds, with a nod to the half-orc. "Better to hit them before that army gets here, 's what I'm thinking." She runs a hand through Yama's coat, thumping the lioness on the back a few times until the beast emits a pleased rumble.
Inja comes out of the vision with a growl, her eyes still unfocused and half-seeing, clouded with the smoke of the burning city. She shakes her head, then something uncanny happens. At the exact same moment that she turns to look at Yama, the lioness does the same, and they regard each other for a long moment; there is far more awareness in Yama's gaze than any mere animal has a right to have. Breaking eye contact, the lioness drops on her haunches, and woman and lioness together, the sound blasting the walls, reverberating and multiplying. Taking a deep breath, Inja squares her shoulders and fixes the others, then the council, with her gaze. "We will not let this happen. We will fight, die if we must, but I. Will. Not. Let the humans do this again. Enough is enough! Let all those who have been hurt by humans rise up against them!"
"Gods? Huh." Inja looks skeptical, but she is not about to argue with the Illidari and their rituals. She reaches out to touch the gem being presented to her, but then hesitates. Motioning the gem bearer to lower the cushion a little, she snaps her fingers to get Yama's attention, then points at the gem. "Paw." As the lioness lifts a massive paw towards the gem, Inja reaches out again, timing it so that woman and lioness touch it at the same time.
Inja spends the few days before the envoy's arrival lazying around, taking full advantage of Octavian's family's hospitality; food, baths, sun filtered by cool green leaves - she takes it all in with gusto. Puzzled at Tsakua's and Pazeek's obsession with training and workouts, she does as little as possible as she gathers back her strength. The trek through the desert, and before that, the months-long trek from Haven had taken a heavy toll on her and on Yama, so she cherishes this opportunity to rest. When the envoy arrives and invites them to speak with the assembly, Inja simply shrugs at his request to leave their weapons behind. It was a sensible request, and besides, she didn't need weapons. Grinning to herself, she remembers the little kobold's remark about her 'true form'. She shrugs again at Pazeek's musings - to her mind, they owed these Illidari, who had received them in their secret city and shared their water with them unasked. Anything in her power that they would ask, she would give them, especially if it involved fighting the Mad King.
Inja appreciates the beauty and elegance of the city, but it is a cold, crafted beauty, celebrating the blue ones' dominion over nature. Octavian's family's estate is no exception, and the druid looks at the manicured grounds with a tinge of disapproval. Still, they are guests here, and their hosts are being very generous. She makes sure to thank Alreena and Octavian for their hospitality, but before partaking of it herself she goes to seek a suitable place for Yama. The estate is vast, and on their way to the stables Inja drills into Yama the rules of good behaviour. "Absolutely no biting, not even in play. And no scratching - not on people, not on furniture, not on trees. No scaring the other animals. No peeing on the pretty grass and then digging it up. I will ask them to make a sandpit for you where you can go instead. I will visit as often as I can and we can play together and I'll give you back scratches. They will give you food and water. now you be good here, understand? These are powerful people and we are fortunate to be allowed here." Once she finds a servant or stablehand that doesn't seem too terrified of them, Inja explains Yama's needs and instructs them in her care. The feeding, watering and housing she leaves to them, taking upon herself the exercising and socializing needs of the lioness.
Watching same interaction with puzzlement, Inja was startled by Tsakua's question. Turning away from Jasmine and Octavian, she ruffles Yama's coat fondly. "Yama is not mine. We are... together." She smiles sadly as she reminisces. "There was a hunter in Haven, the place I lived before the humans destroyed it, like they do everything. His name was Nagash, and Yama was his bond-mate, his hunting partner. We found her in the woods as a cub and she immediately took a shine to Nagash, and him to her. When... when Nagash was killed, Yama almost died as well. She was trying to protect him." Inja sighs, her gaze far away. "I was returning from a hunt, when I found them. Haven burned and looted, the people killed or taken... I nursed Yama back to health and we've been together ever since."
As they enter the city proper, Inja gapes unashamed at the grandeur of New Alexandria. She had never seen anything remotely close to this scale of building, the urbanism, the marble. This was the first city that she had ever visited, and what a city it was! As they walk, she keeps a hand on Yama's back at all times, in case the lioness gets spooked by something. After months in the wilderness, the noise, the smells and the crowds are overwhelming for the both of them. "Well, here we are at last, girl. We finally get to rest a bit." Remembering something, she catches up with Octavian to ask him "Can Yama stay at your house as well? Do you have an empty shed she could use?"
Inja whistles as the invisible wall parts for them and they pass through. The entire thing was breathtaking - the defenses, the magic at use here, the city itself. When she is offered food and drink, she shakes her head, directing the locals to the refugees most in need, the ones who have barely made the journey and are swaying on their feet with exhaustion and hunger. Keeping Yama close, she ambles around, grinning at the blue ones, dizzy with relief. They made it! They escaped the Mad King's armies, the desert, the sand wurms, and made it here, to this fantastic place! Seeing such power and organization stokes Inja's hopes and her resolve to fight back. They need a day or so to recover and arm themselves, but after that it's time to plan their strike. She doesn't relish the idea of another march through the desert to reach the territories under human control, but perhaps the army pursuing them has been foolish enough to go into the deep desert after their quarry. Inja's grin widens at the idea of the giant wurms swallowing it whole... and if that hadn't happened, then at least there would be less distance to travel for her and the others. Humming, Inja crouches down, sifting the sand through her fingers as she tries to envision a desert ambush. They could burrow under a thin layer of sand, camouflage themselves with magic.. oh! perhaps create the illusion of an oasis to draw the human soldiers out and pick them off in small groups.
The trek is gruelling, with provisions dwindling and everyone getting increasingly tired. Inja has a hard time keeping up with the demands for water, and she asks Octavian for advice on how to make what they have stretch longer. Garments that cover the entire body and partially the face seem to reduce the water loss due to perspiration, and walking at night certainly helps. But they cannot spare water for anything other than drinking and cooking, so Inja constantly wrinkles her sensitive nose at the overpowering odour of unwashed bodies of so many species. At least Yama is self-cleaning, and Inja herself goes away from the caravan now and again during rest stops to shift into her true form and follow Yama's example. During those times, a black leopard can be seen, sitting on the sand and meticulously licking herself clean. She continues the training sessions with the other refugees, although her group doesn't stay the same. Some leave, not having the energy for training sessions after a night's march, while new ones join, curious or bored or driven by some personal reason. After training, she sits with the other Chosen, getting to know each of them and telling stories of herself - her childhood among the wolves, her time in Haven, the long hunting trips. She doesn't mention the bad times - right now they need to focus on survival. Revenge will come later. Oh, but it will come. To Pazeek's flirting she responds in kind, humouring the tengu. Now is not really the time to start forming mating bonds, but the immensity of the desert and the constant threats around them do make one feel small and vulnerable and alone. One late afternoon, Pazeek wakes to Inja snuggled against him under the tarp, snoring softly and mumbling in her sleep with a contented air. A bit farther away, under the wagon, Yama does the same with Sharpfeather.
Inja watches the exchange from a distance, taking advantage of the unplanned break to replenish the water reserves of her companions and the refugees nearby. Yama growls at first, but once there is clear that there is no threat from the newcomer, she flops onto the sand with her tongue hanging out.
"Oh, great one, the desert mourns your passing, and I with it. Truly, you were the most magnificent creature that I have ever laid eyes one. I am honoured to have been in your presence, even briefly." Inja closes her eyes in a brief heartfelt prayer and takes a moment to compose herself before returning to the task of helping the caravan prepare to resume travel. Sensing her mood, Yama paws gently at her leg, then butts her huge head against Inja's hip, almost throwing the woman off her feet.
Slowly, Inja falls to her knees. She feels no fear, only pure, unadulterated awe. This is no mere beast, this - this magnificent, monumental, majestic creature is the spirit of the desert itself. Tears come to her eyes as she is shaken to the core by this once-in-a-lifetime happening, to come face to face with such a force of nature. Faint regret that their purpose will fail and their goals will crumble as the caravan will undoubtedly be devoured by this Grandfather Wurm is only an afterthought in her mind as she now openly weeps, overwhelmed by the glory of this encounter. Much less impressed, Yama growls uselessly at the wurm, her tail lashing the air in rapid movements that betray the lioness's extreme agitation. Inja raises her hands towards it, as if in prayer, opening her soul to its primordial power.
"What was that? Thunderstorm in the desert? But I hear no thunder..." Inja tenses at the unknown phenomenon, whistling Yama close and preparing to move fast, should the situation require it.
Cresting the dune, Inja stops to stare in awe at the landscape before them. She imagines the magnificent creatures that these bones belonged to, gliding through the sands, burrowing deep or cresting above the surface, dusty trails in their wake. With a glance at Octavian to try and gauge his reaction, she wonders how dangerous they are. Yama shows far less reverence, using a nearby colossal fragment of bone jutting from the sand first to scratch her flank, then to sharpen her claws, brittle splinters flying as she leaves deep gouges in the bone.
Closing her eyes, Inja sends her awareness soaring above the graveyard, not as high as the tengu and his hippogriff companion, but high enough to discern the relevant features of the land and gain some confidence that she would not get lost in this place. Knowing the lay of the land was always important, but now it is a matter of life and death as their provisions dwindle and their destination remains out of sight. And now she understands Octavian's decision to cut through the boneyard, dangerous as it may be - it would be more dangerous still to try and go around, as this would add many days to their journey, and they simply cannot spare those days.
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