by SFI » Sun Jan 17, 2016 1:29 pm
“I am just... worried, is all.” Since they had to travel in the same direction for the most part of their return-journey, Waes’soloth and Rel’lumia were travelling together. Currently, they were reclining in the same carriage. “What is the use of all this?”
“Someone is bloody insane.” Waes’soloth darkly stated, caressing the small spider that had snuck onto the carriage when she left her fortress. The little white thing had tried to cuddle with Rel, but the Nal’sarkoth had not been that happy about it.
“That is an understatement.” The green-haired female snapped her fan closed to point at the window. “This is taking more lives than any war did.”
“Save the Sharen-Sullisin’rune one...” The Beldrobbaen mused. “But yes, I do not even want to know how many will have died before we figure this out.”
The younger female was prevented from answering when their escorts stopped moving. Hearing some talking, someone finally knocked on their door.
“What is it?” Waes’soloth reached over to open it, the one in charge of Rel’lumia’s escort standing in front of it.
“Forgive me, Ill’haress, but the Haledri refuse to move on.” The armoured female looked back the way they should be heading. “And I am no expert on spiders, but I think the Beldrobbaen-mounts are also getting restless.”
The two Val shared a brief look. “Take a different route, head straight for the Beldrobbaen-fortress.”
“At once.” The door closed again and the group soon started moving in a different direction again.
“Those things wouldn’t attack a group this large, would they?” Rel’lumia pushed the curtains aside briefly to look outside.
“Let’s hope not.” Waes’soloth lifted the spider onto her lap again. “I really do not want to consider what that would mean.”
Letting the curtains fall back in place, the other female made a face before opening her fan again.
That would not be the only interruption of their journey. The group stopped again after a while, calls being passed back and forth between their escorts.
“What is it now?” Waes’soloth leaned towards the door.
“Can’t see anything outside.” Rel’lumia pushed aside the curtain. Then she paled as the lights inside the carriage flickered out. “The mana-lights are out...”
“Oh, mother-killing hell...” The Beldrobbaen raised her hand, a light briefly appearing above her upturned palm before fading. “I think you jinxed it a touch back there, Rel.”
The green-haired female was kept from retorting when the carriage shook. Outside, their guards were screaming orders.
“Goddess!” Whatever had made the carriage shake had been enough to topple it onto its’ side, it’s door pointing up now and something trying to push it open.
“We got to get out.” Waes’soloth rubbed her forehead as blood ran down it. “I’d rather not be in here when that thing is.”
“Easier said than done.” Rel’lumia reached up to push the door closed. “In case you didn’t notice.”
“Move when I say so.” Reaching to what had been under the seat but now was beside it, Waes’soloth pulled a crossbow up. “Let’s see how they deal with a crossbow-bolt in their eye.”
“You have a crossbow in your carriage!?”
“Rule number one: no matter how good you are at something, don’t rely on it. Especially when it is the arts.” Waes’soloth took aim. “Go!”
Rel’lumia dodged aside and at once the door was smashed open. A bolt shot passed her head, lodging itself in one glowing eye. Howling in pain, the creature jumped away.
“Good shot.” The younger female got up again. “Why are our escorts not helping?”
“Don’t ask me.” Waes’soloth reached up, pushing herself off on the bottom of the carriage to climb up. She now regretted getting such a wide vehicle. “Oh Goddess... Give me the bow.”
“Here.” Rel’lumia followed her out, realizing quickly enough why their escorts were too busy: there were two of the things. One had a bolt lodged in his head and the other seemed to be trying to kill one of Waes’soloth’s driders. “This is bad.”
“Don’t tell me about it.” The Beldrobbaen climbed down to the street, crossbow in one hand. “We have to get away.”
Rel’lumia dropped down beside her. “Where to?” She really wanted to help their escorts, but also realized – probably just as Waes had – that basically unarmed and more importantly unarmoured, the two of them would merely be a liability.
“Away.” The one the black-haired female had shot had gotten over the pain and was now starting to turn on them again. “I have the feeling we are the target.”
“Oh, bugger.” The younger female looked around. “This way.” She moved to the far end of the street. “I should put a weapon in my carriage as well.”
“You can do that if we get out of here.” Waes’soloth tried to shoot another eye, but the thing had wizened up and shielded his face just in time with a chitin-covered leg. “Pick a mace, please.”
“Noted.” Both had to dodge when the beast shot forward and impacted against the tipped carriage hard enough to dent it. It seemed not even fazed by it as the vaguely feline body turned to the unarmed female. Behind the creature, Waes’soloth was taking aim again, though what she was actually aiming for with all that chitin Rel’lumia couldn’t say. Besides, she had far different priorities right now.
Only to get a massive upheaval in her priorities when the elder female pulled the trigger. Having been around spiders her entire life, the Ill’haress found another weak-spot, managing to just fit a bolt between two chitin-plates.
Roaring, the creature turned and charged the black-clad female. She only barely managed to dodge, nearly losing her balance. Before she could recover, one of its’ hard legs smashed into her side, flinging her halfway across the street. The crossbow skittered even further, leaving the wheezing female defenceless.
Barely managing to turn into her back, the second-generation found herself pinned and a set of massive jaws on crushing-course with her head. In a rather feeble attempt, she reached up to stop them. She only managed to slow them down.