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"Ugh, I know." Hestra scowls. "Maddening." |
"At least it will only be a few days... not nearly a decade." Razsamurjr taunts, looking intensely down at the tiefling. |
"Well, I-" Hestra starts to stammer, flushing. |
"I would not protest watching you two enjoy each other." Lae’zel says as sits herself on a rock "bench’ that runs around the pool, under the water. |
Hestra’s eyes widden in shock as she sputters, Razsamurjr tilting their head with interest, a grey eye swiveling in the githyanki’s direction with curiosity. Lae’zel let’s her eyes close for a moment, the growl of her stomach overshadowing her lust insistently. |
"I am hungry." Lae’zel changes the topic without further elaboration. |
"That spell did a number on you." Hestra huffs, climbing out of the pool and hurrying off to get something to eat for the weary warrior. |
Lae’zel opens her eyes, aware the silver dragon was watching her curiously. She noted that the lustful intensity she had seen them demonstrate around Hestra was, oddly, directed at her now. |
"Are you feeling alright, Lae’zel?" The silver dragon rumbles, lowering its head to rest on its tail, watching the githyanki with interest. |
"I am weak, tired... and very hungry but otherwise fine." The githyanki says, flexing her scarred arm. |
"You realize what you just suggested, yes?" The dragon cocks their head. |
"Yes." Lae’zel snorts, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling for a long moment before she tips her head back down and fixes her gaze on Razsamurjr. "When we arrived, I viewed you as a threat. The desire you have for each other... worries me. However, we've fought and bled together now. I have ascended, though tempora... |
The githyanki grimaces as she feels a dull ache in her arm while sitting up. The silver dragon meets her face unflinching, bemused and curious. |
"I would never give her up. However... this is new to me, the whole matter of istik relationships. Githyanki do not have such concepts. Bonds are forged in battle and blood and, of course, Vlaakith’s protocols are absolute." Lae’zel starts to say, some of the words tasting like ash on her tongue. Speaking of Vlaakith... |
"Is that common among your kind?" Razsamurjr asks with a thrum of humor. |
"I would not know. I never had the honor of serving a Tu’narathi . What I do know is little more than gossip and rumor but it is not discouraged for us to have multiple partners. To discourage the fostering of favoritism and malic amongst soldiers. "Sharing’ has also been a topic she and I have discussed on occasion b... |
"So I’ve impressed you by helping you slay some of your kin, a dragon... and permitting you to ride me like some common warhorse?" Razsamurjr grins. |
"You were an adequate steed." Lae’zel taunts them in turn. |
"Perhaps then you will permit me the opportunity to show you how one, truly, rides a dragon some evening before you two leave on your next grand adventure." It was not a question. |
A piece of fruit splatters across Razsamurjr’s nose, causing the silver dragon to snort and divert his attention to the entrance of the cavern. Both see Hestra standing there, balancing a heavy tray in one arm and blushing violet. |
"Heard all that, did you?" The silver dragon chortles. |
Storm awoke that morning to the sun rising into the sky, mingling with pinks and oranges. She crept downstairs and walked out into the courtyard. The ground was dusty around her paws and the fence went all the way around. Flowers grew from cracks and a few patches of grass could be seen in the light. |
Almost immediately she spotted a squirrel, scuffling around near the base of the large oak tree. She instinctively dropped into a hunter’s crouch, slinking towards it. |
Using the bushes lining the fence for cover she crept closer until it was within pouncing distance. |
"Hey! Storm! There you are!" Storm jumped at the sound and looked back quickly just in time to see the squirrel jump into a hole in the tree. She growled softly to herself and looked back to see who had cost her her prey. |
Elvos was running towards her with a giant grin on his face, his pointed ears mostly covered by his dirty blonde hair. |
"Elvos, you just cost me a squirrel." Storm complained. "Why do you have to be so annoying?" |
"Aw, you don’t really mean that," Elvos teased. "I’ll race you to the square if it makes up for it though," he said. |
"Oh, you’re going to regret challenging me to a race." Storm said with a smile. |
"We’ll see about that," Elvos said. "On your marks, get set, go!" He took off running, and Storm ran after him, her dark gray fur ruffling in the breeze. |
She chased him down to the barn and through the fields, frightening the birds nearby. They scattered and flew away in different directions as she ran through them. Elvos was faster than her on two legs, but not on four. |
Storm leaped forward, landing on all fours, and ran after him again. Her paws thudded against the hard earth, as she got closer, and closer, until... Storm stopped. |
She looked around at the houses and the villagers walking around. They ranged from humans to dragon-borns to half-orcs. But no tabaxi, like her. She was special. |
Everyone looked peaceful, yet Storm could feel something. Something no one else could apparently. Something wasn’t right... She froze, terror, seizing her like ice creeping up her spine. She shivered from ears to tail. All her instincts were screaming at her to run, hide, or both. |
"Storm?" Storm turned around and Elvos was staring at her with a concerned face. |
"I-I don’t-" she started. |
"What’s wrong?" he asked, taking a step closer. Storm just stared at him before standing up and grabbing him by the arm. |
"We have to go," she said. |
"What, why?" Elvos asked. |
"I don’t know." Storm started to run, looking back at Elvos as she did so. He glanced at her, saw the look of pure terror making its way through her face, and began to run too, not asking any more questions. |
But before they could make it very far, they began to shake. No, not them, the ground. Trembling as if something were trying to burst up and out of it. |
A familiar scent filled Storm’s nose. |
Smoke. Fire! Storm looked around wildly and saw a horde coming toward them. A horde of large creatures with big axes, hammers, and daggers, waving flaming sticks. |
They shouted, and threw them. And buildings caught fire. The village erupted into chaos. Everyone was running around grabbing whatever they could. Flames licked hungrily at the sky and turned anything they could reach to ash. Within minutes, the horde reached them. |
"Run!" Storm screamed at Elvos before someone knocked into her and she fell on her back. She coughed as dust plumed up around her, and searched the crowd wildly. |
She watched in terror as the barbarians grabbed people, pulling them away. She saw one bring down a hammer on a halfling cowering in a corner. He fell and did not get up. She ran back up the hill, towards her own house, and stopped. |
The fields, the barns, and her own beloved house were blackened as the fire raged all around them. She stared in horror as everything went up in flames. She heard a cracking noise and jumped out of the way as the giant oak tree fell, missing her by a hair. |
She heard loud wails and neighs coming from the barn and ran to it. All the horses were neighing wildly as flames ate away at their stables. Storm stepped forward, then hesitated. |
If I let them out, where will they go? She thought. Well, better anywhere than here. |
One by one she heaved open the large wooden doors, and the horses ran down the hill. She ran, shooken, towards her house, but barely made it to the door before the entire roof caved in with a massive crash, sending Storm leaping backward. After the noise was over, she got up and looked back at her house. It was in ruin... |
A few small flames were still left, and they quickly caught everything else on fire as well. She stared in horror as the flames got bigger and bigger until it was like a ginormous bonfire blazing in the night. She stared horror-struck, and then, not knowing what else to do, she ran. |
She ran as fast as she could through the streets, passing a group of barbarians along the way. Seeing her, they yelled and gave chase. Storm couldn’t stop now. She ran and ran, and before she knew it, she ran out of her village and down the hill, towards the city. She looked behind her and saw the barbarians were still... |
Instinctively, she dropped to all fours and ran again, remembering she was faster that way. Storm ran full speed into the city, ran into the first ally she saw, and hid. After a while, she looked out, her eyes wide with fear. |
The barbarians were gone, but so were her village, her friends, and worst of all, her family. Her parents had been crushed in the house when it collapsed, and her brothers were most likely dead too. She would have to stay here and learn to live and survive. |
Tears ran down Storm’s face as she thought about this. I knew what was coming. I could feel it, but they couldn’t, she thought. If only I had stayed at the house, I could have warned them. We could have gotten out. They would still be here. They were all dead, because of her. |
And it would never happen again. |
Storm sat up, and yawned. She was sitting on her small, cotton bedroll, laid down on the ground underneath a window. |
Bright sunlight streamed through it, warming her dark gray fur. She could tell by the position of the sun that it was noon. She always stayed up all night and went to bed at dawn. The darkness provided cover for her. |
The bedroll she was sitting on was brown and scruffy, but that was how she liked it. Storm stretched, arching her back, and slowly stood up. |
She looked outside at the villagers passing by, and one, in particular, caught her eye. He was a young man, his pointed ears revealing that he was an elf. He had short blonde hair and wore fancy clothes of the best quality, with a large red cape lined with white fur draped around his massive shoulders. |
To put it short, he was huge. Hugely overweight, and Storm wondered how he simply managed to walk with it all weighing him down. Around him were several other adult elves, with swords on their belts. |
His bodyguards, |
Storm thought. She watched as he carefully made his way into a store, next to hers. His bodyguards stayed outside, guarding the entrance. |
Storm growled softly to herself. That was her rival store, run by a middle-aged dwarf who sold a variety of things, just like her. It seemed to be quite busy today, however, just what Storm needed. She walked out of her room, and into another. |
One wall was lined with all sorts of weapons and trinkets Storm had stolen. She scanned the wall and found what she was looking for quickly. |
A simple leather hood with a mask that could cover her face if necessary. She put it on and pulled the hood over her head, and pulled the front up, hiding her face. Storm backed away from the wall and went outside. |
The cobblestone streets looked dull in the noon when the sun was highest. Storm looked around, then walked over to the shop next door and went inside. It was quite busy and creatures of all races bustled around. |
Storm saw the dwarf sitting at the main desk in the corner. He had a short gray beard and wore a small pointed cap. |
She spotted the elf in the opposite corner of the store, looking at a variety of expensive-looking crossbows. Storm walked over, pretending to look at a series of helmets along one wall, before purposely bumping into him. |
Quickly, she slipped her hand into the elf’s pocket, pulled out the small sack in it, and put it in her pocket. The elf turned around, looking confused. |
"Sorry." Storm said before walking off in the other direction. She put her hand inside the bag and felt around, then inhaled sharply as a sharp sensation cut through it. She pulled out her hand to see a red line sliced across her palm. Blood welled up and ran down her wrist. |
"Um, you all right?" Storm whipped around to see the elf standing there, staring at her. He blinked, glancing at the cut on her palm and the blood dripping onto the floor. |
"Fine." Storm grumbled as she pulled a small bandage from a pouch on her belt, and started to wrap it around the cut. The elf narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, but simply shrugged and continued looking at the crossbows. Storm cursed internally at herself for being so careless as she tied off the bandage and looked... |
She spotted a spot on one wall lined with an array of daggers. She surveyed them carefully and found one that stood out to her. |
It had a bronze handle with a thin leather strip wrapped around the center, while the blade was black and slightly curved at the end. It had small half-circle-shaped holes at one edge of the blade, and it gleamed in the light of the lantern it sat under. |
Storm reached for it before noticing the four other similar-looking blades around it. They varied in size, the smallest no bigger than a butter knife, and the largest being only a bit smaller than a sword. However, they had different colored blades. Storm squinted and noticed the small tag above it stating what it was.... |
Storm grabbed the leather string they were all tied to, made to be cut after it was bought. She carried it over to the desk, but before she could put them there, the dwarf looked up at her and squinted. |
"Hmmm, I feel like I’ve seen you before..." he said in a small voice. "Have you ever come here besides today?" Storm just nodded. |
"Ah, that must be it. What can I do for you today?" the dwarf asked. Storm looked at him and placed the daggers on the desk in front of him. |
"How much for this?" she asked, keeping her voice low so he wouldn’t recognize it. The dwarf studied them for a moment before answering. |
"50 gold pieces," he said. |
"Oh, alright. Never mind." Storm picked up the daggers again and walked back to the walls. As she was, she swiftly cut the leather string with her claw, and one by one, put all the daggers back up, except the black one. She looked back to see the dwarf helping another customer. Storm slipped the dagger into her belt an... |
She sighed as the sun hit her fur, warming her from head to tail. Outside were the elf’s five guards who were laughing and drinking big mugs of beer. At that moment, the elf walked out of the store, and Storm jumped out of his way before he saw her. |
She watched as he walked up to the guards, frowned, and pulled out his sword. He swiftly sliced off the handles of their mugs, dangerously close to their hands. The mugs clattered to the ground, spilling the remaining beer onto the street. |
The guards slumped and followed the elf as he made his way to the other side of the street. Storm walked around, back into her store, with the dagger in her belt. |
She pushed open the wooden door and glanced around. She noticed that an elf was standing in a corner, looking at a wall of crossbows. He wore a dark green hood and big brown boots. |
What is it with elves and crossbows today? |
She walked over to her desk and sat down on the wooden stool behind it. Storm pulled down her mask and sighed at the thought of the successful heist. She took out the bag she stole from the elf and brought it up close to her face to study. |
It was small and purple and tied closed with a small piece of twine. It jingled as she shook it and she undid the twine and peeked inside. In it were about 50 gold pieces, a small gem (Storm guessed a diamond,) and one of the small toothpick daggers Storm saw on the wall. |
Huh, not as perfect as he looked, was he? |
Storm thought to herself. She held the diamond up to study. It was small, and shimmered as she put it back into the bag. The last thing was a shard of mirror, about the size of Storm’s hand. There was a line of red along its right side, and Storm guessed it was what had cut her. |
"How much for the crossbow?" Storm looked up to see the elf there staring at her. She narrowed her eyes at him and noticed an array of daggers hidden inside his cloak, as well as a smaller one behind his ear. |
"Hmmm, 60 gold pieces." Storm replied. She thought that was a fair price. The crossbow was smooth brown oak and good quality.The elf looked down at it, then back up at her. Suddenly, Storm froze. |
Something about his gaze made her feel something like her instincts were trying to tell her something. It was similar to the feeling she had felt before the barbarians attacked her town she realized. She'd felt it a few times before since she came to the city, and it only meant one thing. |
But before Storm could react, before she could do anything, the elf pulled out one of his daggers, its silver blade gleamed in the sunlight as she felt it cut through the fur and skin on her forehead. |
She stepped back, taken by surprise, and pressed her hand to her head as blood dripped from the cut into her eye, turning the world red. Disoriented, she stumbled and the thief moved in for another attack, this time cutting her deep in the side. Storm let out a cry of pain and shock and fell to the ground but not befor... |
Blood seeped into the wooden floor below her and flowed into the cracks. The elf grabbed the crossbow and ran out of the store, his dagger still in hand and dripping red. |
Storm got up slowly, and ran after the thief as fast as she could manage. |
"Stop him!" she yelled, as soon as she got outside. But her wounds got to her and she didn't make it very far before collapsing again in front of her store. She quickly grabbed the bamboo blowgun that was strapped under her arm, and a dart from one of the pouches surrounding it. The sleeping dart was small and blue, an... |
She launched it in the direction of the elf, who was about 25 ft away by now. But in her state, she didn’t have good aim and it sailed straight by him. |
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