51st Zi'da, following on from "Enemies"
Two Breaks had passed since Kane had left the town in to the woods, Varlum watching with an intense gaze as he leaned against the wall of a house. Sharp eyes watched out to the forest to ensure that the trill Kane came back he could make his move towards him. With all the time gone Varlum could only hope that Kane had calmed a little from his outburst, perhaps even come to accept fault. It wasn't often that men did but Kane had been reasonable until now, both of them had gotten on well along the road. If he didn't accept it, however, then Varlum feared for the people of the village. Part of him wanted them all to leave, but where would they go? Besides, he couldn't assume the worst yet. Varlum wasn't one to give up that easy.
After a few more Bits passed, the figure became clear, Kane walking through the woods towards the village. Immediately Varlum stood up straight and started to walk towards the man, eyes both determined and kind. He wasn't angry, nothing about his mannerisms said he was. Right now he had to defuse the situation, not make it any worse. If they were going to kill the Aukari they had to do whatever it took, even if it meant putting their differences aside and working as a team. Both could at least agree the cultists needed to die. That was something - and right now the Ithecal would take anything he could.
As soon as Varlum got close enough he saw the man swing, saw being used loosely. With a Rune of Speed and Strength on his arms, Kane hit Varlum hard and fast. Immediately the Ithecal doubled over, knocked back a few feet as his stomach was slammed in to, his entire body shaking from the sudden burst of pain that surged through his body. Immediately the hulking man hit the floor, the blow knocking every bit of wind out of him. Villagers around watched, some running to grab weapons as Kane stood over Varlum and grabbed him by his shirt. With ease Varlum was held up, eye to eye with his fellow Lightning Knight, glowing orange Runes clear on his arms.
"Sorry, Varlum. I liked you. But you're in the way of me and my mission. If you know what's good for you, stay down" he said, throwing Varlum to the ground and making his walk in to the village. By that time, five men had armed themselves with weapons, all stood ready for when Kane made his way forward. Yet Kane just smirked, pulling a single javelin out of the small bundle he carried with him. "Every single one of you stand down. I only want the Aukari. If you drop your weapons now I won't kill anyone but him" he warned them all, javelin at his side. When none of them dropped their weapons his smirk spread, rapid speed overtaking him. In a flash the javelin left his hand, flying through the air. The man it was aimed at tried to turn, only making a small adjustment left. Instead of it hitting his stomach as intended the javelin shot through his ribs, shattering them all and tearing out a large chunk of his side.
As Varlum watched through blurred vision, trying to catch his breath, the man was thrown back by the hit and knocked flat to the floor - dead immediately. All the other men turned and ran aside from one who sprinted forward to Kane, sword in hand. Instead of drawing a new javelin Kane waited, watching as the foolish man sprinted towards him without any fear. Varlum tried to call out, tell the man to run or tell Kane to leave him alone, but he couldn't find the breath in him. With a struggled growl leaving Varlum, Kane gripped the villager and snapped his neck with ease.
As Kane started to walk in to the village further, headed for the tavern, Varlum forced himself to his feet. Immediately he drew his axe, the weight of it almost knocking him to the floor. But he forced himself up, back straight as he held the axe in both hands. "Kane...Kane!" he roared, stepping forward slowly. Kane paused in his tracks and turned to look at Varlum as men and women came out of the tavern, the sound outside bringing them out. When they saw two bodies and Kane's Runes, all of them froze. Some of them looked unsure if they should draw weapons or not, others were unarmed. Varlum's eyes traced to the crowd, wanting to scream for them to run.
With each step, Varlum reached out to his blessing. Both Serpents Hood and Enduring Scales activated, Varlum hoping to buy enough time and keep Kane distracted. Even with his size and strength the Ithecal knew he would have to be lucky to kill a mage as strong as Kane. But Varlum had been lucky before, slaying a Flameborn and surviving. He could be lucky again. "That man did nothing to you, nothing. Don't lay a hand on any of them" he snarled as he walked forward, the scales appearing around him as the aura of threat made him look more dangerous than he was. Even the villagers looked intimidated by it, though Varlum already seemed scary in their eyes.
Kane smirked at the Ithecal's attempt at resistance, eyes now fully focused on him. "If your plan is to persuade me then you need a better plan, Varlum. Nothing will stand in the way of me and the Aukari, every single one of them. If killing you means I purge their race off Idalos, so be it" the Knight snapped, face changing to a serious tone as he approached Varlum with a rapid run. Varlum braced for impact, readying his hands to grab for the man. Even if he took a beating from it, or lost his life, this was the job he signed up for. With a man like this around nobody was safe, lives at risk. Auya at risk. That wasn't something that could happen. As soon as Kane got close, Varlum lunged forward with a loud cry of rage. "Run!" he shouted before his bite sunk in to the mans shoulders. For a trill his teeth were locked on to the man's shoulders before he was thrown again, this time with more strength - tearing a chunk of flesh away as he went.
Both arms grabbed Varlum and turned, launching him through the air and towards a small house. On impact the Ithecal shattered through the wall, pillars falling around him with a loud crash. As the walls shattered and his body slammed in to the floor Varlum looked up for a moment, vision blurred. Two terrified children stood, their mother screaming. Within the same trill, however, the house collapsed. Before Varlum could reach forward heavy planks of wood fell on the group, Varlum falling unconscious immediately - the last thing he heard being a scream.
"Anyone? Is anyone alive?!"
Pain ran through all of Varlum as the faint voices could be heard outside, searching for survivors. Trills passed as Varlum forced himself to consciousness, rubble being moved near him - yet no weight was lifted off his back. After an amount of time Varlum couldn't begin to guess, his strength had returned somewhat. All of the voices became more clear as they called out names, but only one caught his full attention. The villages elder was calling for him, his name repeated over and over by the frail man. A small hiss of pain left Varlum as soon as he tried to move, the abilities he had activated prior gone. Cuts coated his body, bruises all over his scales.
Unable to form words, Varlum's lungs struggling, the Ithecal placed both hands in front of him. In his head he prayed to Ethelynda, prayed to any Immortal that would listen in that moment - before he started pushing. Outside, the sound of rubble was heard, followed by a strained cry of pain. Varlum pushed with all his strength, muscles burning with agony as he did. Over him, weight began to fall, moving off his back and down the side of the ruined building and his torso. "Over here!" a man cried from outside as Varlum's cry got louder, air finally reaching his throat. Men and women started pulling what wood they could off of him, before one final burst of energy pushed him up with a loud roar that could be heard through the forests.
Hands grabbed the Ithecal, dragging him out of the rubble and resting him on the grass and removing the axe from his back. Sunlight burned Varlum's eyes a little as he glanced around, but even with the blurred vision he saw all he needed to. Buildings ruined, corpses littering the ground, flames still burning in the rubble. "No..." Varlum snarled as he tried to force himself up, a few men immediately stopping him. The Elder kneeled beside the Ithecal, lifting his chin so their eyes met. "Breathe, relax. You're alright, we're all alright. Just breathe" he assured Varlum, watching as the Ithecal snarled and growled yet refusing to let go. He knew better than to fear the man that had just saved lives.
"Kane...what happened?" Varlum struggled, one hand resting on the Elder's shoulder as he let himself sit up, the other hand holding his own sides to try and stop however much blood he could feel coming from himself. "We ran. Some of us stayed behind to buy time, others weren't quick enough. But only five died with three missing" the man assured him, before looking to the rubble of the house Varlum had been in. When Varlum saw the gaze he knew immediately what happened.
"I saw them, two children and a woman. They were in there when..." he started, unable to finish his sentence as his words choked him. A few men around heard the sentence and immediately started digging in the rubble, the elder glancing down for a moment before finding the will to speak. "You saved many of us today, Varlum. Many of us. We can not thank you enough for what you have done" the old man whispered, hand resting on Varlum's shoulder before turning to a few men.
"Get a cart and some horses, head to any town you have to. If they have any horses buy them. We need to get him back to Rharne as soon as we can" the elder ordered, each man nodding and running in opposite directions. Immediately he gestured for a woman to come over, clearly young as her worried eyes fell to Varlum. "Bandage him up as best you can, we need him ready for the road. Me and the others will gather what resources we have and ready ourselves to travel back. Use whatever you have to" he ordered. As the woman started to undo his shirt to use it as a bandage, Varlum looked out to the elder. "Wait...the Smith" he started, coughing and wincing.
With a grim look, the elder turned away, leaving Varlum wounded with a tear forming in his eyes.
Two Breaks had passed since Kane had left the town in to the woods, Varlum watching with an intense gaze as he leaned against the wall of a house. Sharp eyes watched out to the forest to ensure that the trill Kane came back he could make his move towards him. With all the time gone Varlum could only hope that Kane had calmed a little from his outburst, perhaps even come to accept fault. It wasn't often that men did but Kane had been reasonable until now, both of them had gotten on well along the road. If he didn't accept it, however, then Varlum feared for the people of the village. Part of him wanted them all to leave, but where would they go? Besides, he couldn't assume the worst yet. Varlum wasn't one to give up that easy.
After a few more Bits passed, the figure became clear, Kane walking through the woods towards the village. Immediately Varlum stood up straight and started to walk towards the man, eyes both determined and kind. He wasn't angry, nothing about his mannerisms said he was. Right now he had to defuse the situation, not make it any worse. If they were going to kill the Aukari they had to do whatever it took, even if it meant putting their differences aside and working as a team. Both could at least agree the cultists needed to die. That was something - and right now the Ithecal would take anything he could.
As soon as Varlum got close enough he saw the man swing, saw being used loosely. With a Rune of Speed and Strength on his arms, Kane hit Varlum hard and fast. Immediately the Ithecal doubled over, knocked back a few feet as his stomach was slammed in to, his entire body shaking from the sudden burst of pain that surged through his body. Immediately the hulking man hit the floor, the blow knocking every bit of wind out of him. Villagers around watched, some running to grab weapons as Kane stood over Varlum and grabbed him by his shirt. With ease Varlum was held up, eye to eye with his fellow Lightning Knight, glowing orange Runes clear on his arms.
"Sorry, Varlum. I liked you. But you're in the way of me and my mission. If you know what's good for you, stay down" he said, throwing Varlum to the ground and making his walk in to the village. By that time, five men had armed themselves with weapons, all stood ready for when Kane made his way forward. Yet Kane just smirked, pulling a single javelin out of the small bundle he carried with him. "Every single one of you stand down. I only want the Aukari. If you drop your weapons now I won't kill anyone but him" he warned them all, javelin at his side. When none of them dropped their weapons his smirk spread, rapid speed overtaking him. In a flash the javelin left his hand, flying through the air. The man it was aimed at tried to turn, only making a small adjustment left. Instead of it hitting his stomach as intended the javelin shot through his ribs, shattering them all and tearing out a large chunk of his side.
As Varlum watched through blurred vision, trying to catch his breath, the man was thrown back by the hit and knocked flat to the floor - dead immediately. All the other men turned and ran aside from one who sprinted forward to Kane, sword in hand. Instead of drawing a new javelin Kane waited, watching as the foolish man sprinted towards him without any fear. Varlum tried to call out, tell the man to run or tell Kane to leave him alone, but he couldn't find the breath in him. With a struggled growl leaving Varlum, Kane gripped the villager and snapped his neck with ease.
As Kane started to walk in to the village further, headed for the tavern, Varlum forced himself to his feet. Immediately he drew his axe, the weight of it almost knocking him to the floor. But he forced himself up, back straight as he held the axe in both hands. "Kane...Kane!" he roared, stepping forward slowly. Kane paused in his tracks and turned to look at Varlum as men and women came out of the tavern, the sound outside bringing them out. When they saw two bodies and Kane's Runes, all of them froze. Some of them looked unsure if they should draw weapons or not, others were unarmed. Varlum's eyes traced to the crowd, wanting to scream for them to run.
With each step, Varlum reached out to his blessing. Both Serpents Hood and Enduring Scales activated, Varlum hoping to buy enough time and keep Kane distracted. Even with his size and strength the Ithecal knew he would have to be lucky to kill a mage as strong as Kane. But Varlum had been lucky before, slaying a Flameborn and surviving. He could be lucky again. "That man did nothing to you, nothing. Don't lay a hand on any of them" he snarled as he walked forward, the scales appearing around him as the aura of threat made him look more dangerous than he was. Even the villagers looked intimidated by it, though Varlum already seemed scary in their eyes.
Kane smirked at the Ithecal's attempt at resistance, eyes now fully focused on him. "If your plan is to persuade me then you need a better plan, Varlum. Nothing will stand in the way of me and the Aukari, every single one of them. If killing you means I purge their race off Idalos, so be it" the Knight snapped, face changing to a serious tone as he approached Varlum with a rapid run. Varlum braced for impact, readying his hands to grab for the man. Even if he took a beating from it, or lost his life, this was the job he signed up for. With a man like this around nobody was safe, lives at risk. Auya at risk. That wasn't something that could happen. As soon as Kane got close, Varlum lunged forward with a loud cry of rage. "Run!" he shouted before his bite sunk in to the mans shoulders. For a trill his teeth were locked on to the man's shoulders before he was thrown again, this time with more strength - tearing a chunk of flesh away as he went.
Both arms grabbed Varlum and turned, launching him through the air and towards a small house. On impact the Ithecal shattered through the wall, pillars falling around him with a loud crash. As the walls shattered and his body slammed in to the floor Varlum looked up for a moment, vision blurred. Two terrified children stood, their mother screaming. Within the same trill, however, the house collapsed. Before Varlum could reach forward heavy planks of wood fell on the group, Varlum falling unconscious immediately - the last thing he heard being a scream.
"Anyone? Is anyone alive?!"
Pain ran through all of Varlum as the faint voices could be heard outside, searching for survivors. Trills passed as Varlum forced himself to consciousness, rubble being moved near him - yet no weight was lifted off his back. After an amount of time Varlum couldn't begin to guess, his strength had returned somewhat. All of the voices became more clear as they called out names, but only one caught his full attention. The villages elder was calling for him, his name repeated over and over by the frail man. A small hiss of pain left Varlum as soon as he tried to move, the abilities he had activated prior gone. Cuts coated his body, bruises all over his scales.
Unable to form words, Varlum's lungs struggling, the Ithecal placed both hands in front of him. In his head he prayed to Ethelynda, prayed to any Immortal that would listen in that moment - before he started pushing. Outside, the sound of rubble was heard, followed by a strained cry of pain. Varlum pushed with all his strength, muscles burning with agony as he did. Over him, weight began to fall, moving off his back and down the side of the ruined building and his torso. "Over here!" a man cried from outside as Varlum's cry got louder, air finally reaching his throat. Men and women started pulling what wood they could off of him, before one final burst of energy pushed him up with a loud roar that could be heard through the forests.
Hands grabbed the Ithecal, dragging him out of the rubble and resting him on the grass and removing the axe from his back. Sunlight burned Varlum's eyes a little as he glanced around, but even with the blurred vision he saw all he needed to. Buildings ruined, corpses littering the ground, flames still burning in the rubble. "No..." Varlum snarled as he tried to force himself up, a few men immediately stopping him. The Elder kneeled beside the Ithecal, lifting his chin so their eyes met. "Breathe, relax. You're alright, we're all alright. Just breathe" he assured Varlum, watching as the Ithecal snarled and growled yet refusing to let go. He knew better than to fear the man that had just saved lives.
"Kane...what happened?" Varlum struggled, one hand resting on the Elder's shoulder as he let himself sit up, the other hand holding his own sides to try and stop however much blood he could feel coming from himself. "We ran. Some of us stayed behind to buy time, others weren't quick enough. But only five died with three missing" the man assured him, before looking to the rubble of the house Varlum had been in. When Varlum saw the gaze he knew immediately what happened.
"I saw them, two children and a woman. They were in there when..." he started, unable to finish his sentence as his words choked him. A few men around heard the sentence and immediately started digging in the rubble, the elder glancing down for a moment before finding the will to speak. "You saved many of us today, Varlum. Many of us. We can not thank you enough for what you have done" the old man whispered, hand resting on Varlum's shoulder before turning to a few men.
"Get a cart and some horses, head to any town you have to. If they have any horses buy them. We need to get him back to Rharne as soon as we can" the elder ordered, each man nodding and running in opposite directions. Immediately he gestured for a woman to come over, clearly young as her worried eyes fell to Varlum. "Bandage him up as best you can, we need him ready for the road. Me and the others will gather what resources we have and ready ourselves to travel back. Use whatever you have to" he ordered. As the woman started to undo his shirt to use it as a bandage, Varlum looked out to the elder. "Wait...the Smith" he started, coughing and wincing.
With a grim look, the elder turned away, leaving Varlum wounded with a tear forming in his eyes.
