[Chapter 1.03] Quoth the Heroes "Forevermore"

[Aethyrium]

Jayce Enmraz

S T O R Y T E L L E R
November 6th, (~11:45am) | Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Next Post: 3.26.24 | Farrah, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Haimehen, Meena, Vesper, Azir, Artanis, Velvet, Doya, Irona, Cub
By the time that dawn came there was no evidence of the Hispo raid the night before except for the ground which still carried the scars of combat. Frantic footprints, bent grass, and dug up earth. The remnants of the campfire smoldered in the small pit that had been dug. It was cooler still than it had been the day before, and the fresh morning air was so crisp that even the grass had a little crunch to it. The sun lifted over the horizon and cast brilliant, ominous red streaks across the sky and painted the horizon deep indigos and violets. Dismantling camp didn’t take more than twenty or so minutes. By the time they were done, deep oranges stained the sky, chasing away the last remnants of the night.

After breaking camp it took another two or three hours before the two teams reached the edge of Anachem where gravity was set to rendezvous with their convoy to arrive. A quick break was shared, a late breakfast, before mockery departed and continued on the road to meet theirs. If all went well, they would all meet up again at the Needleway in the heart of the Rishi Valley some hours from now, in the twilight hours of sunset. Goodbyes, goodlucks, and well wishes exchanged before mockery departed, leaving gravity to sit and wait.

And wait.

…And wait.

Nearly three additional hours later of just hanging out, the convoy was spotted coming up from the woodlands. And it was bigger than they might have initially believed. A dozen wagons of various sizes pulled by teams of horses moving in a roughly straight line through the woods. A man, maybe six foot if he stood very straight, broke out of the woods ahead of them and looked across them all. He paused and grunted, “You must be the Champions from Onyx. I’m Jayce.” His thumbs hooked into the heavy chain belt he wore, and he stepped forward a few, pivoting to watch the area where the lead wagon would soon break into the open plains. “Apologies for the delay. We had a morning run in with a couple Ursoc. Lost a whole wagon and three people, slowed us down a little.” Jayce grimaced, looked to the side and spit out a glob of over chewed brownish gunk. “Be nice to have some real protection through the valley. Have you ever been?” He questioned, making a motion for them to follow as the front horses pulled out.

As he waved forward the drivers, Jayce explained what they were dealing with. Thirteen total wagons, thirty nine horses, and of course almost sixty people. Not including the mercenaries who had been hired to escort the convoy. But that was another new piece of information. As the convoy exited Anachem in total, the mercenaries gathered around Jayce and gravity, until finally one of them stepped forward and shook his hand. Jayce offered him thanks, and they - the extra dozen bodies protecting this convoy, turned as a group and started back for the trees. Jayce spit another hunk of his chew. “They only agreed to come as far as Anachem, apparently. Didn’t know that when I sent the request for help crossing the valley.” Jayce turned and clapped Lolo hard on the shoulder, offering the group a smile, “But six Champions is more than I expected anyway.”

His hand slid from her shoulder and he gestured for them to walk with him. “Now the way I understand it, you’re only seeing us across the valley, once we’re past it you’re turning around, right? But if you want to make some cor, I wouldn’t mind your help. Most of these folks only need to get to Underhill.” He paused, made a gesture at the second to last wagon, which was one of them that was entirely covered, “But this one is on her way to a place called Cordes sur-Ciel. She agreed to pay for all of this,” He motioned at the entire convoy, “And get these people to where they needed to go, if I’d see her up this supposed hidden village.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White button down, Plaid slacks, Suspenders, w/ glossy purple bowtie, Simple black beret
Tagging | Mentioning: | Vesper, Irona, Haimehen, Farrah, Artanis, Meena, Lyra, Doya
Marlowe’s return to the camp happened near the end of Vesper and Irona’s watch, just before the sun came peeking over the horizon. Sleeping in the wilderness barely agreed with her when she had the comforts of a tent and sleeping bag. Having spent the night in the cold, uncomfortable, and with nothing but her anger to keep her company hadn’t done anything for her appearance. She looked tired. What sleep she had gotten hadn’t been particularly restful. One more thing to be angry at Haimehen about. And she was, she was still so mad. But not so mad that she wanted to seek him out and make him bloody. Even though her eyes went looking for him all on their own. What they found was Farrah and Artanis, cuddling. That made her pause. Blink. Tilt her head. She didn’t know what to do with that. Artanis was… Insufferable, but Farrah made her happy. So Lolo found a smile for it, and walked on.

She passed Farrah and Meena’s tent and paused there as well. Sticking her head inside she glanced at the sleeping Silenus, and a flutter of longing thoughts passed through her mind. But Marlowe resisted, it’d be time to get up and move soon, she reasoned. And that eventually brought her to the tent she and Lyra had been sharing. She reached for it, but paused, and instead decided to sit on the outside. She wanted to be there for Lyra, when she got up. But the circumstances were hot on her mind, and thinking about their talk when they had gone shopping, Lolo decided that her way wasn’t the best way. This time. What Lyra wanted here mattered to her more than what she wanted. So she waited, and given the chance, she spent most of the morning's walk with Lyra.

And when Meena did get up, saw her, and approached, Lolo answered the questions she was asked as best she could. “No. I’m not okay.” She admitted quietly. When Meena comforted her, Lolo was receptive. Still affectionate, but clearly off. Tense in a way that Lolo was decidedly unusual for her. And when Meena told her that they needed to avoid a situation like last night, Lolo gave her word. She didn’t know if she really agreed that this needed to wait, but the danger was real and unignorable. As little as she wanted to leave this alone, she wanted everyone in more immediate danger less. It was best for the team if she swallowed it down, and that was exactly why she had walked away. “If…” There were stipulations, but she bit them down, assuming, expecting, that they didn’t need to be said. “I won’t start anything.” She’d promised.

When Haim eventually emerged, Lolo regarded him with a sharp, unwavering stare. She wasn’t going to chase him down, but how could she do anything but watch him? Be wary of him? She watched as he and Doya eventually broke away from the camp to run point. That was better, she thought.

Ultimately, when the convoy arrived, Lolo was distracted by it. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t this. It was big, and Lolo wasn’t sure how six people were going to cover the whole thing without spreading out. Immediately her attention was drawn to Lyra. At this point she was barely willing to entertain the idea of letting her partner out of her sight. She opened her mouth to complain about the leaving men, but stumbled under the shocking clap of Jayce’s hand. Lolo turned and shot a glare at him. It did manage to keep her quiet though, and Lolo went back to being reserved while the grown ups worked out what they were going to do. After all, what was she but a big dumb brute anyway?

The only thing that almost made her spark a change was the name of the place. That was the cloud-place that Haim talked about. She wanted to ask, but inquired of him, and she glanced at him the most softly she had since this whole thing happened. But upon seeing him, it was like she remembered beyond her curiosity that she was mad at him, so she just looked back down and followed the lead of whomever.

[shengami]

Character Name: Haimehen
Date: Nov. 6 | Time: 11:45 |
Location: Johtan Wilderness Camp
Wearing:  Outfit, orange toque, bandolier of cartridges, Feu and Fureur, Boots
Tagging: All | Mentioning: All |
Haim crouched a little over five meters from gRAVIty and watched the forest line. As he watched he sucked at his lip and tasted copper. It had been a long morning; it had been a longer night. He'd not slept. He kept playing the evening over in his mind. And each time, he flinched and flinched. All night he'd sucked at the wound. During the day, he'd had less time but he'd sucked it raw again a half dozen times while scouting. The last month of his life contained so many mistakes. Last night had contained so many more than it hollowed him out. He reached up slowly to touch his eye gingerly.

The night had ended poorly as well. He'd managed to fuck even that up. An argument with Farrah ended in the types of lessons she was best at. He coughed a single syllable of a laugh. He had four more years of such lessons to look forward to? He spat blood into the grass. He had at least the next few days' worth. What had Charles used to say when he caught Haim in the cookie jar? If you can't pay the price, best not do the deed. Well, he'd worried at it all day, and there was nothing for it now but to pay the price that was asked of him for the wrong he'd done.

He sucked his lip and watched the dark line of the forest. He could already see the caravan coming. There was a lot more sound than he had expected.

As the man broke the treeline, he bounced to his feet and tracked along with him. Still, he hung back and made sure to keep Lolo between him and Lyra. He'd noted how protective she was of the elven woman. Perhaps what Artanis had said was true. And that was yet another mistake: both that he had hurt Lolo and that he had not seen it before. He grimaced as he let his eyes slide over Farrah's form then looked just beyond Jayse as he listened, quietly.

He watched the mercenaries leave for a long moment. He watched as the man continued to talk. He watched until something caught his ears.

His heart sped up a bit though at the mention of his village. But rather than look at the caravan leader, his eyes sought and locked onto the wagon mentioned. For a moment, the rest fell away and he was curious who this woman was.  The decision about whether to take the extra cor for the extra work was Meena's decision to make, but he could help a bit. He turned to look at Jayse, "Cordes sur-Ciel is my home. It's an agrarian elven village near the northwest coast." He looked to Meena, checking to see she received the little bit of information for her decision, "I'm going to go talk to her."

He turned to walk down the line of wagons but didn't move too fast in case anyone was going to tag along. It might have changed in the last few years, but Haim was pretty sure that he knew every soul in his small village. If it was a familiar face? He picked up a step. But maybe it was someone just going to visit or emigrate? Whatever the case, he was curious. some wealthy woman was visiting his home. He missed his home. He lost a step though at the thought of what Etienne might do when she learned what type of man her grandson had become. A moment later, he pressed forward. There was no hiding it; he'd have to face the music eventually. He touched his swollen eye and expected he'd be listening to the music for some time yet. He smiled secretly and rolled his shoulders. "So be it." As he kept walking, he held his hands out at his side briefly then let them fall again.

As he neared the wagon, he called out: "Allo? Salut?" He looked toward the driver.

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | 11:45am
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Gravity
Meena hadn't gotten much sleep. It would have been hard before last night; it had been almost impossible after everything. Anger and disappointment warred with adrenaline, fatigue, and concern, a cocktail poisonous to a restful sleep.

Dispatching the Hollows had been the least complicated part of her evening. She was angry—angry at Haim, angry at Artanis, angry at Azir, and even angry at herself for not knowing what was going on on her own team—but mainly, she had been concerned—concerned about Lyra and concerned about Lolo, who had gone storming off into the night. Thankfully, Farrah had gone after Lolo to make sure she was safe, which allowed Meena time to check in with Lyra. 

There was no way Lyra was okay, so Meena didn't even bother asking her about it. She just let Lyra know that she was here if Lyra needed her and that if she could no longer feel safe around Haim or wanted him gone, Meena would speak to Shir on her behalf if she wished. Basically, Meena would help deal with the situation in any way Lyra wished. As much as everyone was angry and hurt at Haimehen's actions, Meena felt it was Lyra's feelings and opinions that mattered most. It would be her decision what Haim's ultimate fate would be. It wouldn't be fair any other way.

After that conversation, Meena had a very brief conversation with Haimehen. She didn't let him speak much; she just told him to stay in his tent until morning for his own safety and that if she saw him come out at any point, she would shove him back in herself. 

From there, it was Azir who she sought out next. Watches needed changing, and there was something else on Meena's mind. It seemed impossible that Artanis could know all of the things he knew. Had he been more personable, Meena might have thought of him as well-informed gossip, but he wasn't. He was a pill, as Velvet put it, and Meena had a hard time believing anyone would confide in him. So, how did he get his information? So, Meena asked. And the answer had not been comforting. Worse. Azir could not be sure that Artanis's ability had not already compromised the secrecy of their mission. Later that night, she got confirmation, and it wasn't good. 

On top of it all, Meena had just managed to fall asleep when Farrah finally poked her head into their tent to inform her that she had taken a moment to deliver some much-deserved punishment to Haimehen.  Meena wasn't upset, exactly. She wouldn't have minded providing some of her own, but the ruckus the night before likely had a hand in the hollow attack, and she didn't want a repeat of that again.

Besides, she had decided for herself that Lyra would dictate Haimehen's fate, and it wasn't her position to do it for her as much as she would have liked. Meena didn't want to re-victimize Lyra by continuing to drag her trauma out and throw it in her face, no matter how good it would feel to deliver some righteous retribution. They had all been hurt, but that hurt paled compared to Lyra's. Meena would be respectful of that. Haimehen would have to deal with the repercussions from the others individually. 

In short, Meena didn't blame Farrah for her actions. She wouldn't blame anyone for wanting their pound of flesh. What she lamented, what stabbed at the heart of her ever-flowing optimism, was the need for it in the first place.  This should not have happened. That it did crushed her.

Despite Farrah's assurances that Lolo was okay, Meena continued to worry about her. She wanted to go to her friend and just put her arms around her. Farrah suggested that might be a very bad idea, and as much as Meena wanted to do something, she remembered what Grandmother Lashti had told her once. 

"Little Horn, Sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do."

Meena wanted to go to Lolo and hug her, but it wasn't what Lolo wanted or needed. So, she didn't go, but that didn't stop her from worrying until Lolo appeared in camp the following day.

When she spotted her disheveled friend, she could no longer contain her concern. Meena wrapped Lolo in her arms and hugged her tight. She could feel the tension in her friend's body. The tight coil unlike anything she had felt from her friend, and it worried her. Meena believed she understood why Lolo left camp and even appreciated the reason for her distance. Still, it hadn't offered Lolo respite from her own hurt and anger, only the ability to tamp it down. Meena whispered her understanding and promised they would deal with it when they returned to the academy.

Lolo didn't need to finish her sentence. The stipulations were obvious. Meena completely understood and nodded in agreement. "And I wouldn't stop you," she said, anger underwriting her concern. Meena didn't always understand the dynamic of Lolo and Lyra's relationship, but she didn't question their bond; it had always been palpable.

She was relieved once camp was broken and they were on their way. Sending Haimehen and Doya on point gave gRAVity some respite from the tension that had filled the camp when Haim appeared in the morning with a black eye and split lip. She didn't feel any sympathy or offer any of her first aid. The wounds looked painful but were not permanent. She would deal with them if they showed signs of infection, but until then, she figured he got off easy. Had it been Lolo, who knows what state he would have been in after she finished with him?

It felt like an eternity between Mockery's departure and the arrival of their convoy. Haimehen stayed on the outskirts of the team, and Meena kept him and Vesper on watch for wagons. When finally alerted to their presence, Meena was moderately surprised at the number and armed escort. The guards would have been a blessing and complication to the mission had they stayed, but their prompt leave removed the additional concern. Meena gave Jayce a welcoming smile and approached with a hand extended as seemed customary in human nations for greeting.

"Well met," she said before Jayce explained the current state of the convoy. Her expression grew concerned and sad as he mentioned the loss of life they had accrued along the way. "I am sorry for your loss. We have some medical supplies if you have wounded who need attending," Meena offered. "I am Meena Tor, and this is my team. Farrah, Marlow, Lyra, Vesper, and Haimehen," Meena introduced gRAVity to the man who appeared to speak for the convoy. When he inquired about their experience with the valley, Meena shook her horned head no.

"We have not. If you or anyone in your convoy has any experience with the trip, I would like to discuss it with you. Knowing any potential ambush spots or areas of hollow activity would be helpful," Meena said. "As for the additional travel, I cannot promise you anything now, but we can discuss it again when we reach the other side of the valley." As willing as Meena was to help, and she was, the answer was a decision for the entire team and dependent on the outcome of the actual mission and what state her team was in when this was over.

Cordes sur-Ciel didn't mean anything to Meena other than a place on a map, but to Haimehen, it certainly did. She didn't stop him from rushing off to meet the woman from his homeland. There would have been little anyone could have done to keep Meena from doing the same had it been someone from her clan. She did give a quick look at Vesper. "Mind keeping an eye on him and checking the rear of the convoy to see if anyone needs our help? Lolo. Why don't you and Lyra take up point at the front of the convoy and do the same? Farrah and I will guard the middle third," Meena suggested to the team, thinking it was best to keep Haim and Lyra as far apart from each other as possible. Suggested positions addressed, she turned her attention back to Jayce. 

"We are ready to move if you are."

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: 11.06 | 11:45
Location: Campfire | Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena, Lolo, Mercenary
There was no gentle ease into wakefulness. One moment she was asleep, the next she opened her eyes aware and alert to the morning. She stared at Artanis for a moment before grinning widely and exhaling a mouthful of morning breath in his face.

”Mornin’ sunshine,” she chuckled before rolling over to accept whatever punishment he gave. She wiped the half-dried drool off her cheek with the back of her hand before lifting both arms above her head to stretch from the tips of her fingers to the tips of her toes. She groaned as she did so, taking a full ten seconds to enjoy it, and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was typically one of the last people to wake up and roll out of bed, but she woke up ready to tackle the day.

The events of last night had not settled on her shoulders to weigh her down like it had the others. The imminent mission was more exciting to think about. During the wait, she shared some forgettable pleasantries with everyone, but anticipation made her fidget. Bouncing a knee, snapping her fingers, pacing, push-ups, staring off into the distance - any sort of physicality to break up the boredom of waiting.

When the convoy finally arrived, Farrah gave a cheery smile and clapped Meena on the back. ”We got this,” she encouraged, settling in a spot at their leader’s side. She crossed her arms and gave the Silenus one more look. It would be their last private moment - the last opportunity Farrah had to inquire about the energy radiating from Meena. The elf wasn’t quite sure what to think; Meena was good under pressure, but this was a new level of responsibility. Perhaps the mission in combination with last night was fraying at her nerves…?

Farrah clicked her tongue as she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Meena had always been upfront with her worries and if she wasn’t saying anything now, Farrah was content to believe that there was nothing to be concerned about. Instead of dwelling on it, she turned her attention to the approaching Jayce and smiled confidently.

[i[Champions[/i].

Hearing a stranger call her that and assign all of the responsibility and expectations of the role to her made her inhale deeply. To have so many people trust her with their life should have been sobering, but it was thrilling. She looked forward to rising to meet their needs and keep them safe. They even had a metric! Two or fewer people dying would put their success rate at higher than the 12 hired mercenaries. She kept that unit of measurement to herself, but the grim thought sparked another.

She reached out and gave Lolo a attention-seeking pat with the back of her hand and pointed to the retreating mercenaries. ”Do wonder why them mercenaries ain’t goin’ the full distance if this mystery woman be payin’ fer it,” Farrah commented. ”Ain’t that the whole point of mercenaryin’?” She crossed her arms again. Then she placed them on her hips. Then both hands laced above her hair and she rested them on her head. Finally, she opened her mouth to say something. "Sound good ta me, Cap. Mind if I go spin a yarn before we make tracks?" She pointed a thumb towards the mercenaries to indicate exactly who she wanted to converse with and when Meena gave the affirmative, Farrah grinned at Lolo. ”I’ma go see what’s ta be said.”

She booked it towards the retreating bodies. Travel was dangerous. Getting from Kantos to Johtan had been an expensive and laborious task. Even with designated routes, it was a challenge to raise enough cor to gain passage for such a trip and it was even harder to find people willing to take the risk and offer protection along the journey. That the mercenaries would stop at the Valley was interesting to Farrah and worth asking about just in case.

”’eyo!” she said in greeting, waving her hand. ”M’name’s Farrah,” she stated to the group, latching on to anyone who seemed interested in engaging. ”Mine folks be takin’ over for this next leg o the journey, but I did wanna say a hello before ya departed. I reckon y’all got some stories! Anythin’ worth knowin’ ‘bout this valley we headin’ in to?” she asked, falling in step with the group to walk and talk towards the treeline.

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: November 6th, ~11:45
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: As pictured
Tagging: Artanis, Farrah, Haimehen, Meena, Everyone | Mentioning: Irona

Vesper woke the following morning with his mouth dry and head feeling equally full of thoughts and heavy stones. He’d say that he was hung over, but of course that would mean that he had been drinking. He had not been. The sense of malaise both equally shamed and angered him as he tried to stay alert and keep his mind clear to observe what existed from beyond the campground rather than dwell on what was within. He had been angry for the distraction… And then dealt with the shame for feeling he had been successfully being distracted by it. Every anticipated step until they returned felt more perilous now. Vesper knew, however, that simply staring ahead and waiting for the end of a journey was a good way to have it cut short in unpleasant ways, so he made conscious efforts to compartmentalize the worst of his feelings, seal them away like a hidden force not unlike Negalu.

Being paired with Irona had helped him in some minor way with that. He was drawn to her and welcomed that flicker that helped him momentarily focus on something else. Beyond that, she served as a reminder of what Vesper had always imagined her entire bloodline to be. The Nagasi would not let the drama of the previous night get in the way of their mission (at least in Vesper’s mind,) and he steeled himself with that reminder. Maybe Vesper’s own relations to his blood felt fraying, but in the moment it did not matter… It was something to grasp onto.

Even before Meena had asked him to, Vesper had made the decision to anchor close to Haimehen. He tried to be unobtrusive about it – even friendly – because what would discord do for them while on the mission? ”Let me know if there is anything I can do for you, we are partners both on and off the field for this.” For this. There was Haimehen the position and Haimehen the far more deeply flawed man than Vesper had ever imagined. Vesper would say that the latter made little difference until they were back at the Academy where things could be more properly sorted… That wasn’t entirely true, of course. By anchoring himself with Haimehen, after all, Vesper made a conscious decision to serve as a vital part of the network of observers that was now needed. He hoped that his more casual approach would allow his partner to keep his wits about him when the need to strategize and fight came… Still, Vesper would be the first to concede that there would be no panacea to the casualty done the previous night.

He fell towards the back of the caravan naturally but would move with his partner, trying to revive the ghost of small talk as he could. When opportunities presented themselves, he followed a similar pattern of Farrah – albeit perhaps with some dampened sociability – both trying to be a gracious companion to the caravan and trying to discern any knowledge that they may have picked up, which might help everyone moving forward.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: Black long-sleeved top and matching skirt, with white overshirt with blue trim, black sash, flat ankle boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe, Jayce, Meena | Farrah, Azir, Artanis, Haimehen, Vesper

Lyra had not been happy after the defeat of the Hispo. True, they were safe now, but at what cost? Her mind was still reeling from the revelation that Artanis had made bare, but she had been determined to do her job and push past it to protect the group. Take that little part of her and bundle it back up, shove the pieces back in that box, and push it as far back as she could manage on that shelf out of reach. She was still concerned about how the group was going to view her now, that she had somehow disappointed them, that her image was tarnished and irrecoverable, but that feeling had taken a backseat the moment she realized in the calm after combat that one of their members was missing.
 
Marlowe was nowhere to be found.
 
The little silver haired elf began to panic, eyes widening as she paced back and forth in the campsite, berating herself for not following after her partner like she had wanted to. The look on Lolo’s face after Haimehen’s confession had not been a pleasant one and she could feel the woman’s fury at the other elf. It took all of her willpower not to rush out into the darkness to find her, but the members of MoFeTTE had made it clear that Lolo was going to be fine and just needed some time to herself. Lyra had been puzzled by the news at first but eventually accepted it as Lolo’s way to deal with things. However, it did nothing to appease her worries. Was she going to lose another teammate because of her actions?
 
Meena, in particular, came by to check on her and asked about Haimehen’s position on the team, to which she merely shook her head, much like she had when she had declined the offered card. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about right then anyway. A strained yet practiced gentle smile crossed her lips, but the sadness in her eyes was unmistakable. Assuring the Silenus that she was fine for now, Lyra had retreated to her very-empty tent.
 
She struggled that night without Marlowe nearby. Azir had taken notice of her discomfort and had offered to stay with her. She had felt safe around him before, so after some reluctance, Lyra accepted his offer despite her apprehension. He gave off a warm feeling, and he kept a respectful distance. He didn’t question her nor did he try to touch her, not even a comforting hug. There was a good chance Lyra might break if someone else touched her at that moment. But she really did not trust herself to be alone that night and she was solely missing the presence of her partner. Had they ever truly been apart since the very first day at Hammer?
 
When morning came and Marlowe was found to be sitting right outside her tent, Lyra launched herself at the taller woman, wrapping her arms around her partner and burying her head against the crook of her neck, whimpering softly. She didn’t care about her feelings of being touched. She didn’t care about her personal bubble. All she cared about in that moment was her partner finally returning. Her shoulders were shaking and soft sobs were muffled against Marlowe’s body. “You had me so scared and worried… Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Please… Please never do that again.” After being assured that she was fine, at least physically, Lyra spent the morning with Marlowe after exchanging a few words with Azir thanking him for keeping her company.
 
In fact, for a majority of the time spent waiting for the convoy, Lyra remained as close to Marlowe as possible. Which also seemed to be the farthest point away from Haimehen, who was now sporting a black eye and a split lip, likely curtesy from a few select individuals. Lyra couldn’t even look at him, shame eating away at her for his new injuries, but also because of the discussion last night. Why was it that every time she was involved, someone got hurt? Was it wrong to blame herself? Perhaps it was, but she was having trouble rationalizing that.
 
With the arrival of the convoy finally upon them, it managed to pull Lyra out of her head, instead having a reason to focus on something outside of their internal struggles. That practiced smile made its way to her face as Meena made the introductions, bowing her head slightly as her name was called. A glance was given to her partner at the mention of Ursoc. Again, that Hollow beast had reared its ugly head during this mission, a reminder of when just the two of them faced down a pair of them in the past. “I am sorry to hear of your loss.”
 
A tilt of her head was given at the mention of mercenaries and Lyra glanced behind Jayce to get a look at them, but they were already starting to retreat, with Farrah chasing them down, likely to converse while she had the chance. That was fine. The little elf was more than happy to remain with the main force. While any loss of life was regrettable, she was surprised at so few causalities among such a large group with so little protection. That either led credence to the power of the mercenaries or the lack of threat the Hollow had posed. Would Gravity, numbering half of the previous protectors, be enough for that many? It was far more than she had originally imagined. Well, she had to remind herself, much like Doya had kept telling her, they were Champions, even in training, and each one of them was worth more than a few mercenaries.
 
The name of the village meant nothing to her, but she could see the look on Marlowe’s face at the mention of it and how she had looked to Haimehen, who had disappeared to seek out the woman requesting further escort beyond their mission. She nudged Marlowe gently to get her attention, her brow furrowed a bit as she watched her partner. “Is something the matter, Lolo? Do you know something about that place? I am not from Johtan, so it means little to me, but… it is familiar to you?” She had barely caught the quick declaration of Haimehen that it was his hometown before he rushed off so she understood the ache of the familiar being just within reach, but that did little to explain the expression on Marlowe’s face.
 
A simple nod was given to Meena as it was suggested that she and Marlowe take point once they were set to move out again. “Of course, if you think that is best, Meena.” It would have possibly made more sense for their two marksmen to take point, but there was value in keeping them to the rear as well. And while she wasn’t a marksman, Lyra was pretty good on noticing keener details, and Marlowe was a great front-line brawler who always had her back.
 
She gave Marlowe a soft smile. “Come. Let us get to it. We can do this, you and I. It will be up to us to lead the vanguard.” And diLeMMA would survive anything thrown at them.

[Aethyrium]

Ocareena Min’Uet de Foarist

Jayce Enmraz

S T O R Y T E L L E R
November 6th, (~11:45am) | Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Next Post: 3.31.24 | Farrah, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Haimehen, Meena, Vesper | Holden, Kimber, Tandaleon
At the back of the convoy, nearer the forest, the group of mercenaries gathered in preparation for their trek back into the woods of Anachem. They paid the wagons little mind as they began to pull away. There were sixteen in total, of all sorts of backgrounds and species. Three silenus, four elves, and nine humans. Several heads turned toward Farrah as they approached. One of the men, a bat-born Silenus with winglike patagium stretched between his arms and torso, waved the others off. Several turned and headed back in, while the rest waited, and he twisted to meet Farrah, approaching slowly to meet her call. “May the blessings of the Brother’s be upon you, Farrah.” He greeted in kind, “I’m Holden, second of the Timberwolves.” He came up a few paces short of her, stopped and set a hand on his hip. He was wearing leathers that must have been warm, even in the chilly fall weather. They were well worn, and battle scarred - this was a man who had seen the Hollow head on. “And best of luck to you and yours, be well through the valley.” Holden chuckled a bit and looked back over his shoulder, “We’ve seen a thing or two, if that’s what you mean. Nothing,” He turned back to her and gestured with a hand respectfully at her, “Like a Champion, I’m sure. But perhaps that’s for the best.” Unlike Jayce, Holden didn’t actually seem to recognize the difference between Champion and Squire - that was a nuance just beyond someone like him. He looked past her shoulder as the convoy kept crawling forward, past it and into the distance where the Rishi Valley laid, “Nothing I’m sure you don’t already know. It’s a big ol’ death trap, and don’t envy anyone going through it.”

One of the women from the group padded through the grass up to Holden’s side, offering a small wave of acknowledgement to Farrah. “Mer’s wound isn’t getting any better.” She said, nudging Holden slightly. “Don’t think he’s going to make it back.”

Holden took a deep breath and glanced at his compatriot. It seemed to weigh on him, and he sighed, shaking his head. “Anachem isn’t a nice place,” Holden said, grimacing a bit at Farrah, “And the Rishi Valley is much worse. At least we know the woods, gives us an advantage. Be careful in there, Champion. There are much worse than Garou and Orsonn in the valley.” He gave Farrah a nod, then turned back with Kimber, starting toward the others of his unit.

* * * * *

Jayce seemed briefly surprised at Haim’s proclamation that the place was his home. He’d never heard of it - though that much was probably not surprising - and from what he had been led to believe it was a small, out of the way, hidden place. What were the chances of finding someone else from there? He watched Haim walk off, and regarded Meena with a sudden understanding that she seemed to be in charge. “Well that should make things interesting then.” He grunted, motioning for Meena to walk with him.

“I’ve crossed the valley maybe half a dozen times. Never with anything this big though.” Jayce frowned deeply. “Whole damn place is a Hollow hotspot.” He slapped a heavy hand against the flank of a horse as he passed it, giving it a little scratch but never stopped moving forward toward the front of the convoy. “Usually try to cross in the dead of night. But we’ll be earlier than that, unless something slows us down.” He shook his head, “Should avoid that as much as possible though. There are some time sensitive things in transit, and delays might compromise their integrity. It’ll be interesting.”

Once they got to the front, alongside Lolo and Lyra, Jayce pointed out into the distance, “See that ridge in the distance? When we get up on it, you’ll be able to see the valley. And as far as any ambush spots, you may as well just consider the whole thing one.” He scrunched his nose and dropped his arm lazily to the side. “When we enter the valley, it’ll be a tight pass, we can stack up the wagons two by two, but won’t have much room to maneuver around them, but we’ll have to cover less area. We’ll be on the low ground for the first eight miles or so. Then we’ll hit some more open space for another six or so before we come to Needlepass.” He glanced at the girls around him, “That’s the real trouble. The chasm drops into the bowels of hell, and the pass is barely a wagon wide.” He gestured back at the lead one, “The pass is about two-fifths a mile long. It takes about ten minutes to cross if you’re on foot and don’t have to worry about anything. Double that for, I wager, for horses and all. Once we’re on it, there won’t be any turning around, or shifting up how we’re proceeding.”

* * * * *

The wagon that Jayce had indicated wasn’t that much different from the others. Covered, like a pilgrim’s wagon, but that only made it one of three. It wasn’t any nicer or anything that would indicate it was home to someone well off enough to finance this little trip. The driver was perhaps a little remarkable, both because he was an elf, and because his equipment seemed more well cared for. He may have been driving the wagon, but the twin khopeshes sheathed across his back indicated that he was no mere driver. There were heavy metal plates on the back of his gloves and up into bracers, as well as the top of his boots and the front of his shins. This man was at least as well equipped as Jayce. “Étranger tranquille, vous troublez la paix.”

Almost immediately following it, a softer, gentler, feminine voice chimed in light scolding. “Be kind, Tandaleon. We do not greet guests that way.” Some rustling inside indicated movement. The flap of the wagon behind Tandaleon was pulled open, and Ocareena gracefully stepped over the wagon seat. Inside there were at least half a dozen other elven women, all of whom seemed displeased at her decision to leave, but none who made any further attempts to stop it than whatever had already gone on. Ocareena stood and took a deep breath of fresh air. She was wearing a finely crafted puffy maroon pair of pants, and equally puffy shirt that left much of her midriff exposed, and despite the chilly weather had no sleeves. But a heavy cloak slid off her shoulders as she had gotten out.

Looking down at the boys, Ocareena made for the wagon edge to step down. Tandaleon reached for her and set a hand on her wrist, but before he could speak she looked back at him and nodded softly, “It’s fine. I won’t go far, and I think I’m safe in the hands of our escorts.” Tandaleon didn’t seem thrilled, but acknowledged and focused back on his task. She stepped forward carefully and bounced on the ground, and smiled at Haimehen and Vesper. “You’ve come a long way from Onyx to see us through this journey, I thank you for that, squires.” She crossed her hands and offered them both a bow. “I am Ocareena Min’Uet de Foarist of Tabor.” She stood straight, smiled, and tilted her head, “Might I know your names?”

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: 11.06 | 11:45
Location: Campfire | Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Holden | Jayce, Gravity
”Seems ta me we ain’t so different,” Farrah said with a smile, acknowledging that their work protecting the convoy was just as commendable. She seemed ready to draw out a story of what a thing or two meant for the second of the Timberwolves, but she was feeling the pressure of time. Before she could make a decision, the woman interrupted. Farrah frowned at the news. Meena was a healer - she could help! This Mer deserved the kindness; he had already given much, it seemed, to give the others the chance to travel safely. But… they were already behind schedule. The longer it took them to arrive at the rendezvous, the more danger Mockery and their convoy were in. She hadn’t expected to be met with a sudden need to make a choice, but here it was, dangling in front of her.

”If he don’t, Mer be a name to be remembered ‘n honored,” Farrah said somberly, thumping a fist to her heart in respect. ”May the Lord of Light be present for ‘im.” For healing or for receiving, she didn’t say. ”Many thanks for the warnin’, Holden. Safe travel to you ‘n yours.” She dipped her head in goodbye and turned away, a grim set to her jaw. She hadn’t hesitated in making a decision and she didn’t know if that was a failing or a strength. She wasn’t the team leader - it wasn’t her choice to make. But did Meena need one more thing on her plate?

Everyone deserved to be saved, but not everyone could be saved. She looked back over her shoulder as the last of the mercenaries hit the treeline. Was Mer worth spending the time or resources on? Yes. Did they have the time or resources to spend? She didn’t know and it wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.

She found herself moving to the middle of the convoy to take up her protective position. She had seen Meena move with Jayce - probably discussing the convoy - and everyone else had seemed to disperse to their own places. Maybe that was for the best. It gave her some time to come to terms with her decision to not say anything about Mer. Meena had already diplomatically answered that the actual mission would come first over escorting the mystery passenger to Cordes sur-Ciel and offered medical assistance to those who needed it. How many hard decisions would the Silenus have to make by the end of the mission? Farrah was finally starting to understand the burden of leadership and assumed she was finally gaining insight into that unhappy expression Meena had worn since the start of their adventure. And if the mission weren’t enough, she now needed to play peace-keeper, keeping Haim separated from Lolo and Lyra. Farrah didn’t doubt they would function as a team when they needed to act as Champions, but for the downtime inbetween? That was less certain.

In an effort to distract herself. Farrah began striking up conversation with the convoy passengers. The first wagon was not chatty - the morning attack had noticibly affected the mood of many - but the second wagon was willing to talk. The elf kept it light. While scanning the horizon, she asked about names and families. She spoke about hometowns and professions. She learned what some wagons were carrying and why some people were traveling. Conversation flowed easily and at some point, she suggested she get on top of the wagon for a better viewing vantage. She was given a tepid yes and made her way to the top with ease.

On top of the wagon, she gained a better appreciation for the vastness of their convoy and the difficulty of their job. They were just six! The wagons stretched out on either side of her. All people with a destination in mind. All people who, if the Gods were kind, would live to see it. She slowly scanned in a circle.

”Kind Gods would make it so we ain’t see nothin’ on this trip,” she said aloud to herself.

[shengami]

Character Name: Haimehen
Date: Nov. 6 | Time: 11:45 |
Location: Johtan Wilderness Camp
Wearing:  Outfit, orange toque, bandolier of cartridges, Feu and Fureur, Boots
Tagging: Vesper | Mentioning: All |
Haim felt the presence of his bodyguard at his heels. He understood it; it still rankled. But he knew that he had forfeited a level of trust and now warranted a level of suspicion. It hurt, but he swallowed it. He turned enough to give the man a steady, level look and nodded, "I'll do my part, Vesper. I've no desire to cause any more harm than I have. Rather, I hope that I-" He didn't bother to add any for nows as he was still conflicted over what to do. A part of him, a large part, wanted to put in the work and make good. Another part recognized the harm done and the potential rot he represented. He had other paths to achieve his goals; he knew that now. What could he do; what opportunities did he dare dream of? He shook it away as the man atop the wagon chastised him.

He rankled a bit more but put that down to how sensitive he was right now. Besides, the old elf was soon shushed as an elven woman made her presence known. He hesitated, his eyes catching, as he spotted the half dozen elven women. A cart of elven women headed for Cordes sur-Ciel? What strange circumstance brought this about? Perhaps, they sought to achieve a level of genetic diversity? That was a concern among the widely spread elven diaspora and a drive to the need for marriage and fertility contracts. When you were desperate, the practical took precedence.

His eyes flared slightly at the introduction. He knew the word but little more. His father had threatened to cart him off there and forge a contract more than once. Haim was pretty sure he'd have done it if Auguste knew where it really was. "Un long voyage, je pense?" He hesitated a second and looked at Vesper then switched back to the human tongue for the man. "I am Haimehen de Temps Infini of Cordes sur-Ciel. Your destination if the caravan leader is believed? Well met."

He twisted to motion at Vesper, "This is my colleague, Vesper Cabello of Gorren's Point." He noted that the elf had identified them correctly and smirked. A single true champion might have sufficed for this mission or maybe a pair. He let his eyes trail along the convoy to the fore of them and smiled. This was something akin to his goal. He knew that some could not understand the appeal of living far from the cities. His expression soured but he shook it off. But he got it, there was freedom and tradition and, for elves, security. But there was risk: both in getting to and from the communities but also living there. How many times had he been homesick but no caravan was leaving or returning at convenient times? It might be good to visit if he could talk Meena into it.

It would be good to see friendly faces.

He turned to look at the woman again, "Such a long journey must have had its perils. And its costs. What makes you seek out our small corner of the world? If it is not prying too much. How did you weather the Ursoc attack? They are fearsome beasts." As if speaking of them brought such matters to his mind, he scanned the terrain to either side of them looking for the signs of Hollow hiding themselves.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White button down, Plaid slacks, Suspenders, w/ glossy purple bowtie, Simple black beret
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra, Meena | Haim, Vesper
Lyra’s unexpected closeness for the morning did wonders for Marlowe’s attitude. It gave her something to focus on other than her anger and keeping it in check - which was as risky a battle as any with a Hollow. Distracted, tempering herself became a secondary, sort of automatic process. And it wasn’t just toward Lyra, it improved her interactions with everyone.

“It’s…” She looked back at her partner, when Haim announced that it was his home. She nodded. “That’s all.” It didn’t mean anything to her other than she wanted to be excited for Haim that something he might recognize was present. But how could she be excited for him, when she was so mad at him? She watched as Haim padded away for the wagon, Vesper in tow. “Haim told me about it once.” She didn’t know anything beyond that though. She glanced over to Meena, vaguely surprised that the silenus wanted her in front, but the confusion didn’t last more than a moment. “Sure thing boss.” Lolo agreed with a wink. She hooked Lyra’s arm and grinned at her, nodding. Lyra seemed more invested in them than ever, and Marlowe was eating it up. “We’ll try to leave some Hollow for the rest of you.” She replied, loudly, for the rest of gravity to hear as she and Lyra set off for the front.

She only slowed once she realized that Jayce and Meena were going to follow - no need to tear off ahead. With Lyra hooked, Lolo listened to what the convoy leader had to say. “If it’s so dangerous, why go through it?” Unlike Lyra, she was from Johtan, but of course, she had approximately zero understanding of the region's geography beyond literally where she had been. The more Jayce talked about this crossing, the less impressed Lolo was by it. On the other hand, this was a lot more exciting than sitting in a classroom talking about being a Champion. This was like the real thing. As soon as she realized that, she seemed to buzz with excitement. “You know what? Bring it on.” Tugging Lyra close and reaching out to clap Meena’s shoulder and pull her in on the other side, “You’ve got the right group. We can last way longer than twenty minutes.” She grinned.

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | 11:45am
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Anachem Outskirts | Grassland/Woodland - Water Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Gravity
Meena gave Lyra a nod of thanks. It wasn't ideal. Haim's shimmer made him a natural for lookout. Even Meena's sensitive nose was a benefit to sniffing out people and creatures hiding in the underbrush, but she wasn't going to call Haim back from a wagonload of home. As upset as Meena was at Haim, she would have simply felt vindictive to do so. Even if she had been angry enough to keep him away from his people, there was a definite benefit to kin talking with kin. Comfortability could lead to information the wagon load of people might have kept close to the vest. Meena didn't want any more surprises if she could avoid them. Then there was the possibility of the wounded to attend to and Meena was best suited and supplied for that. No. In her head, the best thing to do was to have Dilemma take point. It freed her up to talk with Jayce and do what she did best, and it kept Haim a wagon train away from Lyra and Lolo. Besides, Meena had all the faith in the world that they could handle anything that came their way.

Jayce's "interesting" comment received a very non-committal head bobble as she and the man followed Lolo and Lyra toward the front of the convoy. Meena was hoping for boring and useful. Interesting didn't sound nearly that fun at the moment. She listened intently to his description of the valley and all of the dangers associated with it. None of it sounded good.
"Time-sensitive?" Meena inquired as they walked. "Something we should be concerned about?" She continued as they walked and talked, noting his kind treatment of the animals as they did, which earned the man a smile. Kindness to animals was an endearing quality in a person. One Meena appreciated.

"Would you recommend stacking the wagons like that?" Meena asked. "There is another convoy heading into the valley that we will be joining with another team of Champions. I do not know the size of it, but we expected this convoy to be smaller. Would joining this second convey change your recommendation?" It did no good in Meena's eyes to hide the fact that their convoy would grow partway through the valley, and clearly, Jayce had made this trip before. Any thoughts he had would be given the utmost consideration.
 
Lolo's observation had merit. Unlike a few of her compatriots, Meena devoured Professor Beach's class. There were more than a few jokes that it wasn't just the class Meena would like to eat. This wasn't entirely inaccurate, but she did pay attention and acted as an interpreter for those having difficulty keeping up with their professor's rapid-fire speech.

"Takes a long time to go around. More cost and risk for a longer route. I guess this is more danger but for a shorter amount of time and money," Meena said as she was pulled into Lolo's half hug and flung an arm over Lolo's shoulder and part of Lyra's. She flashed a smile at them both, one of the few easy ones she had flashed the entire trip.

"Twenty minutes is nothing. We can go alllll daaaay," Meena added with a wink to her team and a grin toward Jayce. "Don't worry. We'll get you across the finish line lickity-split." 

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: Black long-sleeved top and matching skirt, with white overshirt with blue trim, black sash, flat ankle boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe, Jayce, Meena | n/a

Lyra eyed the arm that hooked into hers and for a moment, she tried to pull away, but eventually relented and allowed herself to be dragged off by her partner. What good would it do right now to suddenly be adverse to her partner’s touching when she had been so receptive of it just that morning? It still bothered her a little bit, but this was Marlowe and she didn’t mean anything bad by it. So, she forced a smile onto her face with a small chuckle. At least the taller woman was feeling better now and her change in mood was infectious, as always.
 
When Jayce was seemingly following them, Meena in tow, the pair of girls had slowed their pace, listening in as the caravan leader described the valley and his previous voyages across it. That earlier smile was slowly being replaced with a frown, glancing over her shoulder back towards the dozen or so wagons behind them. It truly was a large gathering for just the six of them to manage, but they were Squires. Still, even a Champion was only one person, and could get overwhelmed at any moment, or be so focused on one area that another is left vulnerable. She only hoped they could manage without any more problems.
 
Lyra turned her gaze back to the trail ahead of them. They still had a ways to go before they’d meet up with the second convoy and cross the pass together. The valley wouldn’t pose too much of a problem, she figured, if they kept the group together and the right people where they needed to be. They could even stagger themselves a bit more if needed, she thought, quietly listening to Meena and Jayce talk a bit more.
 
When Marlowe drew her in closer, Lyra was pulled from her thoughts, stumbling a step as she righted herself, moments before Meena’s arm was partially draped over her shoulder. She flinched slightly, as if she had touched something hot, and shrugged off her teammate’s hand, inching a bit further from Marlowe as she did so, although not quite free from her grasp. Her comfort levels only went so far. She gave the other two women a weak smile, trying not to ruin the mood.
 
“The other team is the same size as ours, so depending on the size of their convoy, we may be able to stagger the protection line across a longer distance to account for the additional wagons as we cross the valley.” She lifted her free hand, using an extended finger to sort of draw a zig-zag pattern in the air to emphasize her idea. “Once we get to the pass, however, we should probably expect upwards of thirty minutes or so, just to be on the safe side, to cross in its entirety, accounting for both convoys in a single file. Ideally, less than that. Is there anything we should be concerned about in the pass itself, other than its narrow path?”

[Intimate Ink]

Character Name: Vesper Cabello
Date | Time: November 6th, ~11:45
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: As pictured
Tagging: Everyone | Mentioning: Haimehen, Ocareena


The tension that existed between Haimehen and himself made Vesper feel uneasy. All things considered this was not what Vesper wanted. All that he truly wanted for the duration of the mission was to set the clocks back and forget the poison that had been spilled by the fireside and operate as the team that they should be; there was simply a need that drove surveillance of Haimehen now for the benefit of both the elf and others. Vesper felt the words tickle at his mouth to call out that obvious fact as a near-apology for the close watch that he was destined to give; somehow, birthing those words felt like it would only make matters worse, though.

The revelation of the elven women inspired a curious glance in Haimehen’s direction. Vesper was not sure what to make of it, and thus he wished to seek some sort of explanation from the native of their destination. Of course, before that exchange could happen Ocareena was before them, and any questions asked to a third party about the nature of her and her companions would have become quite rude.

Vesper focused ahead, ”It is an honor to meet you,” he spoke as a casual and movement-friendly validation of Haimehen’s introduction. He gave Haimehen room to speak, doubly so since the first question out of his mouth mirrored Vesper’s burning own. As a subtle affirmation, however, he added at the commentary of their long journey from Onyx, ”If Tabor is where you started than our journey certainly has nothing on your own. Though as one who hails from Kantos as well, it is one I have some affection for.”

[Aethyrium]

Ocareena Min’Uet de Foarist

Jayce Enmraz

S T O R Y T E L L E R
November 6th, (~9:15pm) | Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass | Mountain & Desert - Lightning & Sonic Resonance
Next Post: 4.6.24 | Farrah, Marlowe, Lyreilynn, Haimehen, Meena, Vesper, Chee, Irona, Velvet, Doya, Azir, Artanis, Cub
Haim’s introduction - before he even got to the part where he revealed where he was from - made Ocareena’s features light up some. She smiled brightly, nodding a confirmation that it was indeed her destination. She regarded Vesper, folding her hands in front of herself and moving alongside them to stay nearish the wagon she’d disembarked. “I have heard of Gorren’s Point, in the Crescent Swamps of the south, I believe. Sadly not on the route I have taken. I wish I could bring you news of home, Vesper, being so far away. You are right, the journey has been extensive, and slow moving. We have been traveling for three months now.” Ocareena took a deep breath, “Of course we’ve stopped a few times during our travels.”

Ocareena lowered her head, a light frown etching itself on her lips, “Yes, it has been a difficult journey. I am fortunate to have a guardian as skillful as Tandaleon as an escort. He has kept me safe, but we have seen more loss than I would care to.” Which included the Ursoc attack of earlier in the day that still weighed on her. Fortunately, Haim’s glance around seemed clear. “Jayce has proven himself a competent escort, and the Timberwolves effective at their job. Without them, I imagine this morning's attack would have been much worse.”

Turning her attention ahead, Ocareena hummed and smiled at Haimehen. “To find your family, in fact. And others.” She only let that hang in the air awkwardly for a moment or two, before expanding further. “I am a priestess of the Jade Summer, on a pilgrimage of reunification. Our people have been scattered in the last century, with countless lost. Our history, our ways, and all that we are is vulnerable so long as we are spread so thinly. Across Toil, our people have built small communities, such as Cordes sur-Ciel, but these places are at risk. We cannot afford anymore great losses, and in these times, even the smallest of clusters amounts to many.” Ocareena frowned again. The reality of the elven plight was clearly something meaningful to her, and it was a weight she carried with every step. “The Jade Summer is an order dedicated to the preservation of our histories and our cultures. We have gathered and pieced together as much of our history from before the Great War as possible, and we have created extensive records to track our kin. Including the Temps Infini, but also the des Gemmes, des Fleurs, and the Bontemps. All families we have come to know reside in Cordes sur-Ciel.”

Looking over at the boys as they walked, Ocareena continued, “So I have traveled from Tabor, touching every community we know of along the way, to extend the hand of our city. A chance for everyone to come home, and enjoy the protections we have established, and rejoin the community that is their birthright.”

Jayce seemed genuinely caught off guard at the news of a second convoy. He blinked, scowled for a second as he thought, and then grunted acceptance. “Depends on where we meet them.” Jayce admitted, reaching to the back of his head and scratching it. “But less spread out is usually better where we can get away with it.” That seemed particularly true given that, by his eyeballs, only two of the squires weren’t going to have to run around to keep up with things if they got messy. No accounting for this other team though. Six more squires, by Lyra’s statement. That actually made him smile some, “Truthfully, I doubt there’s ever been twelve Champions in the Rishi Valley at one time before. With that kind of protection, I don’t think we have anything to worry about at all. It’s a dangerous place, but not twelve Champions dangerous.” He chuckled a little and glanced at Lyra, scrunching his nose and shaking his head, “Nah. Sometimes it can get a bit windy, but it’s not usually a concern. But if it is bad, we’ll need to hunker down until it settles. Not a problem for people, but for these wagons?”

He only acknowledged Lolo to nod and gesture that Meena was exactly right about why they didn’t go around. Which brought him back to the time sensitive things. “Nah, nothing to worry about.” He pivoted and glanced over his shoulder, motioning to wagon four, “There’s an alchemist with us, and he’s got a couple barrels of some concoction that won’t survive if it’s not mixed with something or another that he has waiting for him in Underhill.” Jayce shrugged, he really didn’t know, “But he said it’ll remain viable for three days. So long as we don’t have to sit around for the night, there shouldn't be any problems.”

* * * * *

From the edge of Anachem it took nearly ten hours of walking to reach Needlepass. The first four hours of their journey to the Rishi Valley was across the great open plains of Johtan. The landscape seemed to stretch endlessly before them, a sea of green shades swaying in a gentle windsweep. The Windspires loomed in the distance, past the Rishi Valley, a great barrier on the horizon. There was a sort of rhythmic sound of horse hooves against the earth as they traveled, accompanied by the occasional disturbance of wildlife disturbed from their hiding places by the convoy’s passing. As they got closer and closer to the valley, the hills became deeper and steeper. The convoy only intended to stop once on this side of the valley to tend to the horses. But they ended up having to stop twice. Not an hour after the break, Meena sniffed something foul on the wind and discovered a group of Hollow right in their path. There was discussion of engaging, but since the Hollow didn’t seem to take notice of them it was decided to not risk the fight unless needed. Detouring might alert them, and breaking off the path with the wagons wasn’t something Jayce was keen to do. So instead, the convoy sat for an extra hour, waiting for the Hollow to wander off on their own - which, thankfully, they eventually did. Coupled with the convoy’s delay prior to meeting gravity, they weren’t going to reach the great stone bridge before dark.

And that brought into question the rendezvous with mockery’s convoy.

But from there there were no more incidents. They reached the edge of the Rishi Valley and it was just as Jayce described - a craggy, narrow labyrinthine walkway between cliffs that were at least thirty feet up. The wagons were stacked two by two, and through some outcroppings jutted from the walls at precarious angles, navigating the valley was relatively straight forward. Unlike the fading grass of elsewhere in Johtan, the Rishi valley was a dry, dusty bowl with little flora. Every movement created echoes off the sheer walls, which harmonized in an symphony of echoes alerting everything of their presence.

Despite that fact, and Jayce’s warnings, the valley was still. Quiet. Lifeless. No signs of Hollow almost made Jayce more anxious than if there had been.

Eventually they spilled out into the open terrain of the inner valley, and continued into sunset, and then into the dark. By night, the sky was blotted with clouds, and there was no choice but to strike lanterns to see lest they be wandering in the total fog of nightfall. Again, this was a problem, as the lanterns were like beacons in the dark to summon their enemies. Yet as they went, still there were no Hollow to be found. Soon even Jayce seemed at ease - confused, but easier. “Must have known you were coming and moved south to get out of your way.” He joked to Haimehen along the way - who was best equipped to acknowledge that it was silent out there, nothing but the wind swirling across the terrain.

It was over an hour past nightfall that they first saw signs of something in their path - lights in the distance, the other caravan waiting on this side of the pass for them. And as they got closer and could count things, it appeared that this second convoy was even bigger than theirs. Twenty vehicles, but only about half of them were wagons, the others were actual trucks - large, hulking, motorized trucks. Though they seemed to have less people regardless of having more vehicles. It didn’t take more than another five minutes to join them.

While the Valley’s Hollow count might have failed to live up to the hype, the chasm absolutely did not. A seemingly bottomless scar ripped out of Toil’s surface, the Rishi chasm was every bit as wide as Jayce had described, and seemed somehow deeper in person. The wind that traveled through the wound in the earth howled and made eerie whistles and hoots - and was frankly, quite loud. As they came to a stop a break in the cloud cover allowed the luminous moon to pour into the valley and shine a light on the Needlepass - an apt name. Not even nine feet wide, the Needle pass was an effective tightrope spanning nearly a mile of open pit into the bowels of Toil.

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | ~9:15 pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass | Mountain & Desert - Lightning & Sonic Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Farrah, Velvet, Chee | Azir
Meena wasn't sure if the lack of Hollow activity was worse than a constant stream of encounters. It was its own special kind of stress to be constantly wound tight under the pressure of possible attack without any ability to let that tension go. One Meena found she didn't like much. To pass the time, she kept moving with the convoy, checking in with the team and Jayce as they traveled. Meena made sure to check in with the alchemist to determine if anything they were carrying was volatile or dangerous if damaged. Or given their circumstances, used in a fight.   

The one time Meena caught the sickening sweet scent of Hollow on the wind, she gave serious thought to rooting out the creatures, if only to work out some of her edginess. Even in her current state, she knew patience was preferable to needless endangerment and spoke to waiting for the threat to move on over reckless engagement. It had been a delay but not a long one.

The sight of caravan lights in the distance was a relief and a reminder of what was to come. The Needlepass crossing was of paramount importance for the safety of the convoys and her team. Mockery's, too. But now she needed to assess her other assignment, and for that, she needed to talk to Azir. 

The size of the other convoy was concerning, even if the number of people was less than their own. It would stretch the resources of both teams to keep them protected, even if it could make her special mission a little easier. Maybe. There were so many unknowns. Meena excused herself from Farrah to seek out Azir once the convoys were joined to discuss the logistics of watch and travel and their unique mission.  The conversation she had had with her partner along the way still rattling around in her head along with other gloomier thoughts.

Meena picked her way through the larger convoy of wagons and trucks. Along the way, she waved a greeting to any of the squires she saw from Mockery, always keeping an eye out for the rather plain-looking human man who was carrying something so important to the Academy that they had signed his death warrant.

The thought made Meena sad. She felt most of her team would find that emotion strange. Clearly, some of the people at the Academy thought the man's life was a threat, or at least his knowledge of a missing missive to be a threat worth killing over.

Shir hadn't shared that opinion, and neither did Meena. In truth, Meena had come to no decision about the man. There were just too many unknowns for certainties, just sadness. 

With dark thoughts threatening, Meena winded her way between the large vehicles and around worry-faced travelers until she reached a gap in the convoy. A woman was conversing with a young Silenus man. Her slender figure faced away from Meena, but the stark white hair splashed across black leather, the attentive cat-like ears swiveling at the slightest noise, and the gentle hint of Vanilla that touched Meena's nose brought a smile to her face and chased away some of her gloominess. Meena stepped into the small clearing beside the Wagon and crunched towards Velvet and her companion. Possibly a guard for the convoy, considering how the man was armed. 

"You beat us here," Meena said with a smile waiting for Velvet to turn and say hello. To which Meena immediately pulled her into her chest for a big hug. "I'm glad you are okay," she said with genuine feelings behind the words before she let her go.

"I'm sorry. I am being rude and interrupting," Meena apologized to both of them. I'm Meena of the Tors," she said, holding out a hand to the mouse-eared man in greeting.

[shengami]

Character Name: Haimehen
Date: Nov. 6 | Time: 11:45-21:15 |
Location: Johtan Wilderness Camp -> Rishi Vallet -> Needlepass
Wearing:  Outfit, orange toque, bandolier of cartridges, Feu and Fureur, Boots
Tagging: Vesper | Mentioning: All |
Haim listened quietly. He was glad for Vesper's conscientious behavior. He found himself glancing the archer's way a few times as he listened to Ocareena speak. Perhaps he was being unfair to the man, his partner. He knew he had been previously. He'd never given the man much of a chance, held him up to Namid, interacted minimally. He bit his lip and thought about it. But the news Ocareena delivered was too impressing. Still, he spared a nod of appreciation for the stoic squire.

The notion of the Jade Summer was a heady one. He had not been aware of any sweeping attempt to collect the scattered elven lore or unite the remnants of their population in any way. The idea that someone was summoned a rising wind within him. The idea that, if possible, the families of his home might find community and safety in Tabor was intriguing. At the very least, the notion that they might share their history so they wouldn't be lost. He stared off into the distance and bit his lip.

"Ah, then you will be sad to learn this. Four months ago, me and my father became the last members of our line. My sister and grandmother were lost in a Hollow attack on a military outpost in the north. Part of why I joined Hammer Academy was to avenge their deaths. Thus, alas, the Temps Infini line, or our branch of it, is not in good health. A couple generations of career-focused, military-minded sorts did us in. The other families in Cordes sur-Ciel are in better states. The des Gemenes, my maternal line, are doing better." He smiled and mentally counted the elves in his home. He wasn't sure they could be lured away; he wasn't sure they couldn't either. Maybe if he helped? But he was committed to gRAVity and Hammer. Ocareena's sympathy for his loss was welcomed. He looked forward to the others again then to Vesper. This was mostly stuff he'd kept to himself. Farrah knew some, Lolo some, Doya more, the rest almost nothing. Now, he doubted it mattered but perhaps he ought to have?

He looked forward along the line of wagons as they walked. But would it be that bad?

He blinked then and turned slowly to face the woman as she spoke of knowing of his mother's death in a Hollow attack when Haim was young. That was a level of information that he didn't think someone from Kantos would have. He was further surprised to learn that she knew there was a Tinkerspan in Hammer, which Haim informed her was in their party if she wished to seek Farrah out, as well as the fact that, as he also mentioned the Myalis in their party, he and Lyra were distantly related: third cousins to be precise. That tidbit twisted his stomach into knots. Should he tell her? Would Lolo let him get within twenty yards? Probably not. And what did it matter either way? That they might share a few scraps of DNA certainly did not alter the nature of what existed between them right now. He'd burned that bridge and there was no recovering it. He simply encouraged the woman to speak to Lyra. He sent a wary glance toward Vesper, but left the space empty. He simply reoriented and asked a barrage of questions about their travels and the state of the elven race, which was not great. Which ended up being part of the reason they were trying to get elven communities spread over the world to migrate to Tabor.

It made a ludicrous amount of sense to him. Cores sur-Ciel had little to no allegiance to Onyx. And his feelings about Onyx's concern, or serious lack thereof, for villages was old news to him. He spoke about elves he knew in the area, in Onyx, and the families in his hometown. Anything to give the woman the information she might need to use. The idea that his family might be safe and secure was too potent. "I can write a letter of introduction to my grandmother, Etienne des Gemenes, for you if you cannot convince Meena Tor, our leader, to escort you all further." He wondered if he should have mentioned that part, but he pressed his lisp together and left it. He wanted to help the Jade Summer; what elf wouldn't? But he didn't mention, yet, that his status as a member of gRAVIty was seriously unstable. And made even more unstable by this.

But by that time, they arrived at the Rishi Valley and Haim was rotated forward. His eyes and senses just made more sense at the front of the wagon train as they moved into Hollow territory. It took him a bit of focus and effort to break his mind away from what he had learned. To make himself abandon the notion of bringing any of it to Lyra or Farrah's attention. IF they wanted to know, they could talk to Ocareena. He needed to focus on scouting.

And it set him on edge in the most unexpected way. Other than the one group of Hollow that further delayed them, there was no sightings and that made him nervous. Very nervous. He tried to wrack his brain for anything Professors Field or Beach had said about Hollow behavior or strange incidents that matched this in history.

The narrow entrance to the Rishi Valley just added a sense of claustrophobia and escalating danger such that, even the sudden opening into the main valley only made him flinch. his shoulders were a mass of knots and he was glancing nervously to his partner constantly. Though he argued against it, lightly, the addition of lights to their caravan added more fuel to the fire. He checked in with Meena and Farrah once or twice, and chatted with them when they checked in with the forward team, but mostly left communicating with them to Vesper. He needed to stay focused on the task or his mind would wander to bad places or distracted places.

He did not relax at all until the lights of the other caravan appeared and then a bit more once they joined. As soon as they did, he checked in on how the two leaders wanted to proceed both to and then, potentially, over Needlepass. In the dark.

[Aethyrium]

Velvet Smoke

Wearing
This

Artanis Mellow

Wearing
This

11.06, ~9:15pm | Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass
Meena, Chee, Azir, Doya

It had been Artanis’ opinion that the convoy should take the trip over the pass, basically as soon as gravity failed to show up on time. Light was fading, doing this in the dark was more risky, and if they got everyone across they could double back and help gravity across if needed. Of course, Azir had not been okay with that plan - for more than one reason. Artanis had just rolled his eyes and found his way to the top of a truck, perching up there to keep sentry on their surroundings. Everything they had been told about this place said that what they were experiencing was wrong, and that made him more edgy than usual. Staying was a mistake, and no one was going to convince him otherwise.

When an hour after rendezvous time had passed, and the last trickles of light began to fade away, even the convoy leader had suggested that he wanted to move. Velvet had been part of talking him down. But not before she exchanged some concerned glances with Azir. After another half an hour, Velvet had begun to worry enough that she had approached Azir about sending a group to go looking for the missing convoy. She even volunteered herself to go - and she could take Chee with her to watch her back, to limit the vulnerability of the convoy. Doya had been the one to talk them down from moving out, stating that gravity was plenty capable and that any number of things might have delayed them. It would be foolish to send people out in the middle of the night, not knowing exactly where they'd come from.

And of course communications in the valley were all but entirely dead, save within almost useless proximity to one another.

“Yoken died.” Velvet revealed to Chee, frowning, as she continued to fill him in on all the little things that he had missed after leaving. “Earlier this year.” It broke her heart to talk about it. Velvet had always been close to the man, and more importantly he had taken an unusual interest in her. When Chee had asked if she’d followed in Ivy’s footsteps, it was more apt that she had followed in Yoken’s. “I was already in Onyx, didn’t get to say goodbye.” She sighed, answering an earlier question that had gotten missed in their reunion. But before her body could slump any further, a familiar, unexpected voice had her perking up. Her ears twitched excitedly.

Spinning around quickly, Velvet grinned and lunged into the tug, throwing her arms around the Silenus and squeezing. “Oh I’m so glad you’re safe. Where have you been?!” She demanded when loosed. But almost forgetting the question, she pivoted to follow Meena’s extended hand. “Oh! Meena! This is Chee.” Velvet reached out and set a hand on his shoulder, “One of my brothers. One of the others I mentioned? This one decided to run away.” Velvet stuck her tongue out at him. It wasn’t exactly true, but close enough for the moment. “Actually,” She shifted a little and looked past Meena, “I need to go ask Lolo something.” Velvet glanced at Chee, “Don’t lose her until I get back.” She grinned at Meena nudged her as she passed, then jogged off.

[shengami]

Character Name: Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 11.06 | ~21:15
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass | Mountain & Desert - Lightning & Sonic Resonance
Wearing: Camo, crop top tee, Loose, drab green, army surplus jacket unbuttoned, Black cargo pants and Combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Velvet, Meena, Azir | Artanis
It had been a whirlwind afternoon. Chee wasn't yet sure what it all meant, but he was glad of it. He'd already been excited beyond what was normal for his average due to the chance to travel through Rishi Valley and Needlepass. In the company of champions, revealed to be squires, he was hoping for good experience and a decent scarp. To have a reunification with a childhood friend atop that had made him positively giddy.

In between the various calming of nerves, Chee had put his head together with Velvet as much as he could to learn of his brothers and sisters as well as the other squires. To not just feel like he could count the other orphans as family again, but to know they were doing well and thriving. He knew that he would want to go see them, call, write as soon as possible. He had no connections like Velvet's obligation to Hammer to hold him back right now. He even offered to carry a letter for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry ta hear dat, Vee." Without any hesitation, he stepped in and hugged her. Chee had always been more comfortable with his family than others. "Ol Yoken was a solid sort. Protected Seabreeze fer all dem years, ya. Took you under his wing. If'n ya want ta, we can visit his grave. When ya get a minute free from da Aca-"

He blinked as she spun and flung herself at wall that had suddenly manifested behind her. Blinking, he stepped back and his bright yellow eyes climbed the form of another Silenus. Apparently, this was one of the other team they'd been waiting for. He grinned. It was worth it. He glanced over his shoulder to where the white-haired Artanis sat atop his wagon. Chee had some sympathy for the man's logic; it would have been better to cross in daylight. But, more bodies was also a benefit. He looked back to where Meena and Velvet were reuniting and grinned. It was more good news to add to the list. He bit his lip and wondered what Dawn was doing right now.

His ears flicked and he refocused on Velvet and nodded. He grinned and nodded. His yellow eyes refocused on the mountain-woman. A note of suspicion entered them as he glanced to Velvet's retreating form then back to Meena. Then he looked to Azir standing nearby. He licked his lips and shifted. He turned to look out over the pass and then shifted again. His hands unconsciously checked his weapons. Light, swift touches to each. His lips moved as if reciting a litany. His ears twitched.

Then he looked to the two leaders, "If'n you two need it, ya can have my blade and my ears." His eyes shone in the firelight as he regarded Azir evenly. Velvet had not a thing to say what wasn't positive about the man. Truth to tell, Velvet had nary a wicked thing to say about no body. Which made her hemming and hawing over Artanis speak volumes. But if Velvet trusted Azir and the rest, so would he. And if that trust extended to Meena and her lot, then his would as well.

He'd already made his introductions to Azir earlier, so he approached and held out a hand to Meena, "Chee Tortious. Of the Headmen mercenary company. Champion aspirant. Scout." If Meena had questions about what he could do, best she ask rather than he ramble all over the place trying to hit the target.

[Envious]

Character Name: Farrah Tinkerspan
Date | Time: 11.06 | 9:15
Location: Campfire | Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass
Wearing: as pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: | Mockery, Ocareena, Meena
Farrah waved out to Mockery, but maintained her position on the roof of one of the wagons she had been assigned to. The day had been long and boring, but it wasn't over. She continued to monitor the perimeter, squinting into the night at shapes that turned out to be nothing interesting. During the day, she had chastised herself quite viciously when she realized that the lack of action had caused her mind to wander. Complacency was a death-sentence of a trait to have as a Champion, so as a self-imposed consequence she was continuing her vigilance. To her credit, paying attention had become easier when she figured out how to do it.

It had started out internal. The elf narrated imaginary conflicts on the horizon, drawing her attention to a pattern of places as taught at the Academy to keep an eye on their surroundings. Then she had started whispering to herself, narrating the epic fight of the elements. Nefarious breeze from the north be kickin' up the dirt! Ground is sliced away. That there rock watches in silent horror! Eventually, Mila's boomerangs had made their way out and she had taken to blasting away imaginary Hollow as she pretended the devices were guns. Pew! Pewpewpew! Bzzzzt! Aaaaugh! She continued her playful watch, pivoting to scan the gap. That whistling wind was neat; her borrowed boomerangs turned into drumsticks as she hammered out an imaginary beat.

She scanned the narrow land bridge as far as the darkness and distance would allow. There were a lot of people to get across the space. Why had Mockery waited on them instead of crossing? She did a slow sweep of the area again. Her eyes paused on Ocareena's wagon. There was a mix of joy and trepidation in her gut. There had been plenty to say, but not much to share, and as interesting as their conversation was, Farrah had politely excused herself from it with the promise of circling back to the conversation once the convoy was safe.

She had no intention of doing that. She had already shared enough of home today with Meena and that had exhausted her more than all the miles accrued.

Ba-dum bu-dum duh-dum-de-dum tsssh. She rhythmically air-drummed over the landscape, pushing those distracting thoughts out of mind to continue her vigilant watch. 

[Aethyrium]

Azir Venris Kil-Mitter

Wearing
As pictured

Cub Coran

Wearing
This

11.06, 8:02pm | Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass
Meena, Chee, Haimehen, Lyreilynn, Farrah

Cub had no opinion on whether they should stay or go. That was a very boring decision point, so by extension it was one he had very little interest in being a part of. Once the determination had been made that they’d stay, Cub decided to entertain himself by exploring the chasm. Uniquely suited to it, Cub had grinned, waved at Chee and then walked right over the edge. As he did it was like gravity shifted for him, and he was glued to the side of the wall as if it were perfectly horizontal ground. Without a care in the world, Cub walked down the chasm side, quickly vanishing into the pitch blackness. It had produced a lot of mixed reactions, both from the members of mockery and convoy bodies who noticed it. Cub had vanished and not been seen since his departure.

None were more perturbed by the action than Azir, who Cub had - very deliberately - not told what he was doing before doing it. Once Azir learned what had happened, he had stuck to the edge of the chasm pretty tightly and stared into the depths of the blackness, looking for any sign of not just his teammate, but his partner. He had no idea how he was going to get in there and retrieve Cub if it came down to it. And that was made worse by the fact that no one seemed to have any information on the inside of the chasm. How deep was it, what was at the bottom, were there any specific dangers? No one knew. That only cemented him in the light pacing he did at chasm’s edge, slowly wearing down in the dirt. Doya tried to assure him that, despite his nonchalance, Cub was capable and could take care of himself, and it helped. Just not enough.

When word that the second convoy was on approach, Azir turned away from the chasm for the first time and looked in their direction. There was some relief that came over him to see that they had made it. Slow was better than not at all, Doya had been right. She often was. He smiled and turned back to the chasm. He wondered how Lyra was doing… And if gravity had dealt with their problem child, and if that was the source of their delay. Azir’s mind flickered then to the motherly Farrah, and that brought a smile to his lips as well. He hoped she was doing well. With not a thought spared for Vesper or Lolo, Azir’s mind landed then on the elf’s partner - Meena. His own partner in this mission. The relief of their arrival was buried under the frustration of the situation that he needed to share with her. Azir crouched and looked helplessly into the world’s wound for Cub. Still no sign.

Azir waited there until the convoy arrived and settled before he actually wrenched himself away from the edge. Watching for Cub was important, but not as important as making sure things were in order. Though how he was going to explain and justify the convoy’s just sitting here until Cub reemerged was also on his mind. Azir saw Meena strike out along his convoy. He moved on the other side of it to catch up and meet her somewhere along it. He paused long enough to note Farrah mimicking Artanis - those two were something else - and offered her a wave. Then his gaze sought out someone more important, and when he found Lyra he hesitated, wishing to spare her a moment. Then he saw Lolo at her side, and instead, he waited until he had Lyra’s attention and smiled, nodding at her. Glad to see she was still well.

Turning, Azir headed to catch up to Meena, only to find her reconnecting with Velvet. Things were not so urgent that he needed to interrupt, so he waited nearby while the pair hugged and the new friend was introduced. Azir nodded slightly at Chee, as Velvet bounded off, and he approached. “Well this may end up being the most boring crossing of the Rishi Valley in history.” Azir commented, lightly clapping a gloved hand on Chee’s shoulder, “But we’ll put you to work all the same.” He smiled, looking up at Meena and nodding, “Good to see you made it. We were getting worried.”

Dropping his hand from Chee’s shoulder, Azir stepped forward, pausing only when he saw Haim approach. Still standing. The inappropriate thought made him look away for half a second, stolen to compose himself. “We’ve not had a chance to discuss yet. But I don’t think it’ll be wise to stay on this side for the night. If you’ll excuse us.” His words were tighter than normal - even while in class he was rarely so terse. He glanced back at Chee, “I actually need to borrow Meena for a moment.” Regarding Meena, Azir extended an arm back the way he had come, cutting off others from following. “Walk with me?” He offered.

Separating from the others, Azir walked beside Meena along the edge of the chasm, heading toward the front of the convoy and closer to the Needlepass. “Is everything alright? We were expecting to meet you here.” It was idle conversation, not the things he actually wanted to discuss. But that could wait until they were more away from people. He periodically glanced down into the chasm. “While there was still light we could see the other side. The pass is…” He lifted a finger and pointed generally in its direction, “I think we’ll want to send a group across to watch the front while we cross, and make sure it stays clear.” Azir paused and looked around. They were beside an empty truck, and it blocked them from view of everyone else. It was as private a space as they were going to get. He immediately abandoned talking about the suggestion and turned toward the chasm, guiding Meena to his side so their backs were also facing the truck.

Frowning, Azir said more quietly, “I hope you found the courier with your group, because he isn’t here.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: White button down, Plaid slacks, Suspenders, w/ glossy purple bowtie, Simple black beret
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |  Haim, Meena, Azir
The longer the day went, the more normal Marlowe seemed to get. Lyra’s unusual levels of attention and attachment helped, but nothing did more than distance from the moment. Haimehen not provoking her by keeping his distance certainly helped too. Lolo had no opposition to being shuffled around the convoy like Meena wanted, so long as she got to stay by her partner - an attempt to separate them today probably would have ended poorly, simply because Lolo wasn’t going to do it. And in truth, Lolo didn’t like leading the way. It felt like a lot of pressure on something that she knew she wasn’t going to excel at. The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for failing to note something that should have been noted. When Meena discovered the pack of Hollow, Marlowe had been a voice wanting to walk up and destroy them - what were a few Hollow to them? Words like unnecessary risk sounded a lot like cowardice. But, outvoted, Lolo was content to sit and wait. During which, she looked to her partner and asked, “So, Azir was with you last night?” It had been sitting in the back of her mind since she’d seen it. How had he earned that privilege? She regretted that she hadn’t been there, it should have been her.

Once they got moving again, it didn’t take Lolo long to fall into a bit of whiny boredom. She had managed to keep it at bay while hiking here. With eleven people to interact with, and without the tension surrounding Haim, it had been much easier to keep in good spirits. More than a little of it came from the fact that she’d slept so poorly. Lolo wanted to be back at Hammer - and more than once she audibly whined about wanting their mediocre bunk beds. It was almost appalling to her that she actually desired them right now, compared to what she could - should - have. “How much longer?” Was a question she whined at Meena more than twice.

Her demeanor shaped up - as it always did - once they got to the valley. Marlowe wasn’t above being serious when it was needed, and she, usually, knew when complaining was acceptable and when it was not. Unlike some of the others, once they were more than half an hour into the valley and there were no signs of anything, Lolo relaxed. “Well this is kind of a let down.” She muttered to Lyra. This was supposed to be a big bad place, a feather in their hats for crossing it! Who wanted to hear the story of how gravity walked nonchalantly across the Rishi Valley? No one, that was who. And when they finally found the other convoy, Lolo was back to being bored - though much quieter about it, others still seemed tense.

Rishi chasm was bigger than she imagined. She strolled closer to it as the convoy got closer and came to a stop. “Wow…” She murmured, in awe. She’d never seen anything like it. Lolo carelessly poked her toes over the edge of the chasm and leaned as far over as she could without losing her balance - though a gentle nudge likely would send her tumbling in - and peered down, “What do you think is down there?” She inquired, looking up quickly to the side expecting Lyra to still be at her side, but having been to enthralled to have noticed if she moved away.

[Crash]

Character Name: Meena Tor
Date | Time: 11.06.1322 | ~9:15 pm
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass | Mountain & Desert - Lightning & Sonic Resonance
Wearing: Green camo cargo pants, black long-sleeved synthetic weave zip-up over a black crop top and puffy black vest with snap on fur trimmed hood and hidden pockets, and Black combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Velvet, Chee, Azir | Artanis, Farrah
The enthusiasm of Velvet’s hug would have made her smile if the question hadn’t brought up the reason for their delay. Meena’s features wrinkled like she smelled something awful. “Got held up by some Hollows,” she admitted. “Decided to wait for them to move on instead of risking anyone getting hurt.” She knew that tactic hadn’t sat well with everyone, but it appeared to have been the right one, even if the day had seen nightfall.

“Another brother? What does that make it? Seventeen?” Meena laughed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chee,” Meena said, assured that any sibling of Velvet’s must be just peachy. Chee’s claim as a Champion aspirant brought a grin to the big silenus’s lips.

“Oh, another Champion. They grow like summer roses in your family, don’t they?” Orange eyes glanced at Velvet, who was excusing herself. “I’m hard to miss,” Meena joked as her cat-like friend bounded off to find Lolo. She hadn’t missed Artanis, pointedly ignoring the exchange, and gave him a nod of acknowledgment.

Azir’s voice caught Meena’s attention, and she smiled at the leader of Mockery. “Yeah. Ran into a little trouble that lingered longer than we hoped.”  Azir’s immediate shift into work mode was not unexpected. Meena had been seeking him out when she got sidetracked by Velvet and Chee. She nodded in agreement and gave Chee an apologetic smile.

“Duty and all. When you see Vee again, let her know I will catch up with her later, yeah?”  With that, she left with Azir as he led them towards Needlepass. As she fell into stride with Azir, she shook her head at his question. “We ran into some Hollows. I thought it best to be a little late rather than risk injury and further delay,” Meena explained, gazing out into the darkness of the canyon. Again, Meena nodded. Their late arrival prevented her from the same reconnaissance Azir had, and she accepted his suggestion without contest.

“Who were you thinking about?” Meena asked, having contemplated the crossing some on her way here and where she might station Gravity among the convoy. A vanguard made sense. Being trapped in the middle of the pass with no way forward would be disastrous. Putting Farrah in the vanguard would play to her strengths and remove a potential complication to Meena’s mission, as much as she would like to have her by her side. More thoughts of logistics were lost when Azir pivoted to a more clandestine facing and quietly informed her that the courier was not in Mockery’s convoy.

“What?” Meena forced the surprise into a low hiss, but her face displayed shock and disbelief. This quickly turned into a groan, her hand coming up to the bridge of her nose, pinching at the sudden headache she felt. Her face flushed with embarrassment at the realization that she had not done a better job of searching her own caravan. Meena had assumed the courier wasn’t there. She hadn’t seen him but hadn’t been thorough in her search either.

“I didn’t see him,” Meena admitted with a frown. “But he could have been keeping a low profile. Shoot. I should have done a better job. I just thought…ugh.” Her shoulders drooped as the weight of leadership and her failure to think of the possibility that the intel could be wrong. Meena huffed out the frustration she felt in herself and looked out over the canyon.

“We still have time to fix this. If he is even here.” The idea that the courier might never have made it to the convoy was equal parts concerning and a relief. If he never made the convoy, then they had one less thing to worry about. She needed to think. Come up with some way to search for the man quickly and without giving away their intent.

“How much time do we have before we start crossing?”  Meena asked, figuring Azir had plenty of time to think about it while waiting for Gravity to arrive. “We will need to get the conveys in position and ensure everyone is in the right place. I can do a head count of my convoy. Ensure we don’t have anyone unaccounted for. That should be a fairly inconspicuous way of identifying anyone if the courier has been laying low?” She hated that it came out as much a question as a statement.

 “The convoy lost a couple of people to a hollow attack before we met up with them. If we can’t find the courier, I will check with the convoy lead. Maybe the courier was one of the lost. If so, we can check his wagon for the package.” That was probably too much to hope for, but it would certainly simplify things.

“What do you think?”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 6th | Afternoon (~11:45am)
Location: Johtan Wilderness Campsite - Anachem Outskirts
Wearing: Black long-sleeved top and matching skirt, with white overshirt with blue trim, black sash, flat ankle boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe | Meena, Azir, Doya, Jayce, Ocareena, Haimehen

Lyra had never done so much walking in her life before. Prior to Hammer, she had been fairly sheltered, staying either within her family’s compound or within the city limits of Pearl, rarely venturing out beyond into the desert plains or further. Being in Onyx had been strange enough, but then this mission out in the true wilderness was something else. Her feet hurt, but she pushed on, gritting her teeth and baring with it as they walked along with the convoy. Occasionally, she found respite with one of the wagons, but more often than not, she kept by Marlowe’s side, changing positions within the convoy whenever Meena wanted to switch things up and rotate the guard. Her stamina what it was, she still had energy to spare, despite the aching body parts.
 
When the pack of Hollow were discovered in their path, Lyra struggled with the knowledge of an impending fight, glancing at her partner who seemed more than willing to get up close and personal with them, but Meena advised them to wait it out, avoiding any unnecessary fighting that would endanger the wagons or its occupants. And so, they waited, and waited, and waited, for nearly an hour. Of course, it wasn’t all just waiting in silence. She blinked at Marlowe’s question during one particularly lengthy silence, her face slowly heating up with the memory and color rising to the surface. “Oh! Ah, um…” How was she going to answer that? “Yes…” she finally sputtered out, adverting her gaze as she fidgeted with one of her bracelets. She had no reason to lie to her partner. “You were… gone. I did not…” She paused, letting out a small sigh. “I did not want to be alone. Azir offered to stay and keep me company so I would not feel lonely.” She swallowed nervously, wondering just how much she should tell Marlowe. Nothing happened, of course, but that did nothing to calm the emotions raging just beneath the surface, emotions she was still trying to figure out. “I feel… safe, around him.” Warm, even, she thought, thinking back to their time at the academy. “I had thought to ask Doya if she would stay with me, but he offered first, so I accepted.” The little elf frowned, looking over at her partner. “I was distraught that I could not find you and that you never returned to camp until morning.” She moved a step closer to Marlowe, their arms lightly brushing against one another, before Lyra quickly resituated herself. “I am glad you are here now, though.”
 
Once they got moving again, conversation seemed to lull once more, gravity more concerned about keeping watch and the members of the caravan more interested in their silence. Still, that was fine with Lyra. She was content to watch the scenery, taking in the new sights, smells, and sounds all around them. More than once during their trip, she had dug out her little notebook from her bag and sketched a random tree or flower they passed, trying to keep her lines as smooth as possible while walking. Marlowe’s whining was an ever-present record in the background, but all it did was bring a small smile to her face, shaking her head each time the question was proposed to Meena.
 
Lyra nodded a bit with Marlowe. “Hm, well, the valley is not what I expected it to be. Still, it is very different than home, or even outside Onyx.” Then again, what had she been expecting? It wasn’t like Jayce had given her a detailed report, just some basic information they’d need for travel.
 
At one point during their journey, Lyra found herself in the company of a darkly skinned elf. She was the complete opposite in appearance to the pale Unovian elf, like comparing light and shadow. Introducing herself as Ocareena, the two exchanged a few pleasantries and quiet conversation. Haimehen had apparently mentioned that Lyra was a Myalis elf and Ocareena seemed interested in making her acquaintance after that. Questions were posed from both sides, to which Lyra found herself with more unanswered questions than when she started with, both enlightened and confused as Ocareena returned to her wagon.
 
Before long, the sky grew dark as the light faded, and against better judgements of some of the veteran caravan members, lanterns were lit to allow some semblance of sight. Other than the one Hollow encounter, things had been peaceful, but many were still on edge. No news was usually good news, but in this case, it was worrisome to some. Lyra kept an eye out, but her vision at night was poor at best. But that vision of hers did not fail to spot the distant lights of the other convoy and her mood dramatically improved.
 
Upon drawing closer, Lyra found herself almost unconsciously seeking out the familiar guise of the leader of mockery, but so far, was failing in her efforts to locate the elf. Marlowe has remained by her side the entire trip, so she never lacked for company, but found she was solely missing Azir’s. There were many more people now that the convoys had converged, with mockery’s being larger in size but smaller in population, she eventually came to find out. Finally, powder blue silvery eyes found peridot ones, and she offered Azir a smile and nod in return. She wanted to go to him, but her feet were stuck in place. Besides that, he seemed to hesitate as well, before turning and stalking off in some other direction. A frown slowly replaced that smile, but she shook off the disappointment. They were only friends, she reminded herself. Nothing more.
 
Marlowe’s proximity to the chasm’s edge suddenly drew her attention, and Lyra was instantly by her side again. Not close enough to accidentally bump into her partner and send her careening over the edge, but close enough that if needed, she could reach out and grab her to pull her to safety. “Lolo, please be careful! We do not know how deep that goes, or what is down there. I cannot even begin to imagine what awaits at the bottom.” She pursed her lips, considering Marlowe’s question more. “Perhaps nothing at all, but even so, it is dangerous at the edge.”
 
Despite her own warnings against it, Lyra edged just a tiny bit closer, peering over into the darkness below, before letting out a rather undignified squeak and backing up even further than she had been stationed before, eyes widened with a slight panicked look on her face. “That… is really deep,” she muttered quietly. She had never been good with heights, and being that close to what appeared to be a bottomless pit did nothing to help calm her nerves. “D-do not get too close, Lolo. You do not want to-to fall…”

[shengami]

Character Name: Chee Tortious
Date | Time: 11.06 | ~21:15
Location: Johtan Wilderness - Rishi Valley - Needlepass | Mountain & Desert - Lightning & Sonic Resonance
Wearing: Camo, crop top tee, Loose, drab green, army surplus jacket unbuttoned, Black cargo pants and Combat boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Meena, Azir |
"I wouldn't say all dat. But tree of eighteen is a fair few, ya." His mind skirled among the cast of his first found family and knew the number could be higher but some simply did not have the calling. In truth, he hadn't really until the guys in his second found family encouraged him to think about it. He frowned as he wondered, briefly, why he was so determined to do it.

But then Meena was moving away with Azir and he frowned. He glanced toward the darkness that had swallowed his sister and frowned. He didn't think she had literally meant to keep Meena in his presence. They were long past the milestone of object permanence, but it was a request from a sister he had thought he had lost. He chewed his lip for a second and then nodded.

Turning, he quickly moved at a tangent to the path the two leaders had taken. He would keep them in sight but try to give them space as well. He felt it was a convenient compromise. So, he slipped beneath the line of vehicles and took a second to slip a pair of squeakers onto his feet. He coated his weapons as he moved along. His form made no sounds and he was careful to avoid contact with anything.

Chee's night vision wasn't supernatural like a few he had known, but it was good. Long hours in dark corners had refined it. And his big ears were good for lots of things. So, he paced the pair. He also kept in mind the way Meena's nostrils had flared when approaching him and Velvet. The woman had a good sense of smell, so he stayed down wind as much as possible. He crept along beneath wagons and vehicles feeling a bit sheepish about it. Surely, Velvet had not meant for him to eavesdrop on the Squire leadership? His ears pulled down against the side of his head and he turned to move away. It didn't feel good. As much as he wanted to know the plan and keep an eye on Velvet's girlfriend, it felt wrong. These weren't Hollow he was stalking; they were people.

A sharp hiss drew his ears though. He sank down and duck walked a step closer. They were looking for someone? Looking and not finding. And by the way they were talking and glancing, this was something they did not want known. The plan Meena suggested was clever, they could search the caravan and none, not even their own teams, would know what they were looking for. He cocked his head.

“The convoy lost a couple of people to a hollow attack before we met up with them. If we can’t find the courier, I will check with the convoy lead. Maybe the courier was one of the lost. If so, we can check his wagon for the package.”

His ears flicked and his hand went to his bag silently. He frowned darkly. They were looking for a courier? He suddenly suspected the face they looked for was one he knew. The very man who had approached the mercenary and hired him to travel with the caravan. He bit his lip. The search would delay things further and that wasn't good. The guy had been a little shady, true. But the type to hire mercenaries usually were. But Chee's honor and reputation were at stake here. But, Velvet trusted these two. She trusted them completely. And that was enough to know they'd work with him here.

He shifted and moved in eerie quiet from under the wagon. Slowly, he approached while reabsorbing his squeakers except on his feet. This left his steps unnaturally quiet. "Pardon my dropping de eaves." He smirked at Meena and shrugged mischievous apology, "My sister did ask me ta keep an eye on ya, doncha know? Sorry. Figured I'd make myself unobtrusive, ya? Sorry gin." He shrugged, "Anywho. Dere was di  fella what meant ta come wit de caravan but didn't. Might just be dis fella you's looking fer, eh?  An it's prolly best not ta delay too much more, eh? Dem Hollow? Dey not gonna wait ferever, doncha know." His eyes were wary; his form ready to bolt. But he stood his ground for now.