MQ: To The Heart

[Artifex Felicis]

Very little had changed while Leon was in the Turlin tower, though many more elves were beginning to move in two directions. One, where many of the males and stronger looking fighters were going, was towards Eluriand's wall. The other group, consisting of some supplies, as well as younger kids and women, headed the other way and towards some exit out of the city. The sight wasn't something the cat boy stuck around to sit and watch however.

He made good time across the city, making it back to his room that he has risen from not long ago. The elven girl was gone now, and the bed hurriedly made up to keep some vestige of cleanliness. The cat boy scurried around the room for a moment, grinning widely at finding one of the elf girl's forgotten pieces of clothing. What Leon was looking for was safely stored in the closet however. There were simple things, and their purposes were all fairly easy to understand.

He took the bell out first, looping it around his neck so it let out a merry jingle. It was a shiny little thing, and brightened the dark closet so he could see what he was doing as he picked up the other three. The shield and sword went onto his back and hip respectively. The spear he carried, holding the package from the Headmistress under his arm. The nekomata pushed the door closed and left the room as he found it. The whole process probably took him about four or five minutes.

Finding the south east gate did not take much time, and he waited there. It was heavily guarded, much like the other gates, but not as much. Currently there was only one major scouting party that would nearby the walls, with the bulk of the undead Army concentrated at the other walls. It was a very sound tactical maneuver, as it put the Turlin tower the furthest from the undead forces. The cat boy stood, feeling a little foolish. There was still an opening in the raised gate, barely high enough for the nekomata to pass under without ducking. He hoped whoever was going to help him would get there soon. The elves might close the gate soon just on principle.

[Moonlit Raven]

The undead have once more risen and move under Xem’Zund’s order. I request that you lend aid to a special group. Please be at the southeast gate before midmorning.


~Head Mistress Séregon

I stared out the window of the small rented room, watching the citizens of Eluriand hurry. To a safe place, to defend the walls or even to simply wait in some open place for their deaths, I didn't know. Truthfully, I'm not sure I completely care, but if I am asked to help I must. After all it won't take long for a war to spill across the sea and make things worse than they already are Corone. I thought honestly to myself. The air held a frantic, almost beaten note. On the cot, near Kazimir my cat-sized spider, lay a letter that I had read over a dozen times while I dressed and packed lightly. As I slipped on the last pieces of armor over the leather body suit and fastened my falchion to my belt I found myself humming a mourning dirge.

At the far edge of my perception my nerves tingled and shrieked, protesting and alerting me to the closing army of undead. If I can sense the undead inside of the city, I’d hate to see how many of them there actually are. I glanced at the note before tucking it away. Then again, there is a very good chance I’ll be seeing a lot more than I want too.

Grabbing Kazimir I placed him on top of my pack, the now familiar tickling sensation of him standing partly on top of my head to look about, comforted me. Closing my door behind me, a wave of melancholy and nervousness settled over me. I thought of the reason I was in Raiaera, newborn daughter I had ran from. I regretted that fact that those green eyes, Avery’s eyes, are what had ultimately led me to leave my daughter in the care of a co-worker in the bazaar.

I took the stairs slowly, working to push all of my worries, regrets and fears aside, they would do me no good now. By the time I stepped out into the busy street, I was calm. In the back of my mind the part of that me that I feared, turned and slowly crept to the fore, lurking and reveling in the scent of fear that perfumed the air. It took me only a few minutes to reach the southeast gate. I took up a position near the two-tailed man obviously waiting there.

“May the gods have pity on us all and let us find our rest, living and undead.” I murmured under my breath as I finally stopped humming the dirge

[Iriah Caitrak]

This is for long forgotten light at the end of the world…

Ira drew in a deep, shaky breath as her heart thudded faster against the cage of her chest. She felt frozen in place as her eyes gazed on in shock at the scene before her. It was a horror to her mind. She stood in the mist of a vast city, beautiful at one point in time that was now being marred. The stones of the buildings were cast a bright orange, a reflection of the flames that raged all around them, consuming everything they came across. Smoke was rising into the air, a black blanket that covered the sky. She couldn’t even tell if it was night or day. But that wasn’t the worst part.

The cobbled streets were running red with blood, blood that pooled in cracks and seeped out of the bodies and body parts strewn about. Countless sightless eyes stared at nothing as others around them were being ripped to pieces by horrendous creatures Ira had once run into herself. Zombies, bodies revived from their dead state yet given no soul. They were nothing more than creatures that feasted upon the living, a plague so much like the Fallen she fought. They attacked people she had never seen, people with tall, lithe frames, decorative armour and pointed ears, and these people fought back, but they were losing. Their faces just as frozen as she felt, forever screaming in the agony of what was happening to them yet being able to do nothing. Everything around her was like a macabre painting, trapped in time.

“Ira.”

She spun around at the sound of her name to see the familiar figure of Gereint, the tribe Shaman standing behind her. His weathered face looked tired and older than she remembered and his sightless eyes were underlined by a tiredness so deep they looked bruised.

“Gereint, what’s going on?”

“It’s an image I chose to show you.” He said to her as his head turned to observe the scene around them, as if he could actually see it. “It’s the future, or one of many possible futures if no one does anything about it.”

This? This was the future? Her heart ached within her breast to think that this was going to happen, or could happen.

“I have a mission for you.” Ira tore her eyes away from the grotesque image and back towards her Shaman, the tone in which he used far more grave and sad than she could ever remember hearing from him in the past. “There is a chance this future can be prevented, but it will take many. I want you to travel to Raiaera, Eluriand the Capitol to be precise. You must speak with the Headmistress of Istien, she will give you instructions to join with others who will be fighting for the same thing you are.” He paused for a moment, “This mission takes priority over your life.”

The Calerian was momentarily stunned. Gereint always insisted that their lives came before the mission, always. What was so special about this one? Could what she was doing truly help change the course of the future?

“You must leave immediately, Ira. There isn’t much time.”

The scene around her was beginning to fade to blackness and Ira knew that Gereint was cutting off their connection.

“Wait, Gereint!”

“Wait!” Ira sat up in the darkness of her room, taking in one deep breath after another. Beside her, the sleeping form of Malagen stirred, her pale demon of a lover. She could not tell if her outcry or sudden movements had woken him, but when the silence continued to tick by she assumed if it had he had resumed his slumber.

Taking a moment, Ira leaned back against the bed, allowing herself a few moments of calm, where the only sound in the room was Malagen’s steady breathing. There was a sea of turning emotions within her. Gereint hadn’t given her a mission since The Festival of the Dead, be it out of distrust or something else. She couldn’t help but feel happy over suddenly receiving one now. However, it meant she would have to leave Malagen. He wasn’t a Calerian and on top of that, Gereint’s statement about this being more important than her life worried her. Even though such a thing would not stop him, she did not want to put him in danger.

Knowing she couldn’t lay here forever, the Calerian slid out of the bed, careful not to disturb Malagen. Then she began picking up her clothes, which would have been easier if it wasn’t so dark and they weren’t strewn all over the place. She was completely dressed and just beginning to throw her various items into her rucksack when Malagen interrupted her.

“What are you doing?” His voice sounded rough, like he was still partially asleep.

Ira stopped what she was doing and turned towards him, her eyes now more adjusted able to make out his form, sitting up in their bed.

“I have to go, I just received a mission.” One that I might not come back from… She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that, then it actually sounded like she wouldn’t in her mind. Like she’d never see him again.

He threw the sheet off him and proceeded to get out of bed.

“What are you doing?” She asked him, puzzled.

“Going with you.”

She sighed, wondering if she could convince him not to. “You can’t, it’s a Calerian mission and you’re not a Calerian.” That wasn’t entirely true, this was probably going to be very different from any of her previous missions. “Remember when I took you to Purgatory when you tried to kill me? That’s where I fight and there you can’t defend yourself, you already know that. You’ll only be in the way.”

“I’m going with you.”

It appeared she hadn’t convinced him.

“Malagen, I’m being serious. You can’t… please, don’t make this any harder on me then it already is. Just… stay here. I’ll be back…” I Hope…

Instead of going back to bed, he walked right up to her and roughly pulled her against him, kissing her so deeply she almost forgot what they were talking about.

--------------------

Ira looked at the paper in her hand once more, reading the words written in Fallien upon it, telling her to go at the Southeast entrance. Looking up from it, she saw the large doors just barely open enough for people to slip through them. Already there were two people there, waiting for the same thing she was, just as Gereint said. One of them looked like nothing more than a regular female warrior, yet the other was a creature she’d never seen before. Some kind of furred being that walked on two legs and had two tails. Strange. But now was not the time for her curiosities.

Approaching the entranceway, the Calerian said nothing to either of them as she leaned against the wall. Within her she could feel the corruption stir and call, but as much as she ignored it she knew it was trying to tell her something.

[Reiko]

The cold mythril felt heavy in my hands, for the forged sword had been folded many times more than normal making it a dense blade. My eyes scanned the runes for any flaw and I could find none in the flowing elfin script on the side of the elfin shamshir. It was a perfect blade me, well, it was the best blade in the Eluriand for me. I had to get ready for the fight of my life. I had to actually be a hero to this city as one of the few that would sneak through the lines and destroy the fiend, Xem’Zund.

I had gotten a letter a while agon to make haste for the Elfin capital and prepare for the attack and to be part of the counter that would take the head. A bold plan.

My tails couldn't stop shivering, should have said no. I should have said no to the whole thing! I was a mother. Who would take care of the kits for me?

I shook my head and spoke softly to myself. "If I don't do this and they fail, then many more mothers and children would die. I have to fight. They can't." I convinced myself and made a test swing with the blade, well balanced. It would do.

"Doji Ki!" My ears rang with the words and my heart almost popped. "You have to get moving, the undead are moving in as we speak." It was the old guard that had escorted me to the shop. one of the few elfin people to show signs of actual age and not stay forever young, it was a monster that stole his youth.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." I shook the apprehension from my tails and looked for the merchant.

"No time, I'll pay for the sword. It's the company's money but your service will be priceless to us."

I hated being rushed.

"Good bye and thanks." I waved and left the store, hearing the heavy clank of coins being slammed down as I left.

The city was quiet as what was left went about their business, mostly people not wanting to leave and a couple of soldiers making sure no one started looting. The world was calm as a cloudy day before the thunderstorm came. It was all dour and so was I.

Once I came to the south east gate, the planned meeting area where I would meet my companions. They were there and I was last to arrive to the group. I knew two out of three of them.

"Hey! Leon, Elena!" I called and waved, feeling much better than before and my heart warmed up to see my old friends. "I can't belive we're the ones who's going to save this place." I lightened up with a warm smile and embraced Elena for a moment and smiled.

I had let go and turned to Leon, saving the stranger for last. I ran and jumped into his arms for a much sweeter embrace. I sniffed lightly at his scent, a heavy musk that remained me of our night with each other and something else, something feminine, a strange girl and a scent that was not present on anyone but him... Pheromones. I released the cat boy, shocked. "You, you, you had sex with some girl! We're here to fight a war and you sleep with some girl like it was nothing. Did I mean nothing to you?" I blushed, feeling embarrassed as I looked to Elena and the new girl. Leon didn't have their scent so it wasn't them.

"Umm, sorry." I stammered as I looked to the stranger. "I'm Doji Ki, kyubi and kengo of Akashima." I raised my hands in offer of a handshake, trying to save face from my outburst.

[Artifex Felicis]

The nekomata didn't stand around as he waited for the others. He paced back and forth, checking over some of his arms as well as talking to the Captain of the guard. Leon was a fairly well known face in the city of Eluriand, especially to the some of the higher-ups in the army. It did not take much in order to convince him to let Leon and whoever came with him to exit through the gate. Most of his job entailed keeping the undead out of the gate and out of Eluriand. Still, the heavy doors could only be closed once, then the song mages would weave their magics and close down the gate until Eluriand was sacked or the undead defeated. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but there were also some extra precautions taken, but as an anti-undead field around the rooftops, which would end up frying any undead that steps into it. Of course, with the sheer numbers they had, it may not last that long.

When the cat boy did all that could, he simply waited, one of his tails, the one he still thought of as his original, twitched every once in a while. Even if he was looking forward to it, a twinge of fear was still in him. It was not helping that every once in a while he saw the elves own state of mind. Many were held together simply through loyalty to their home and desperation. Leon watched their movements along the walls and behind them, one of his hands twiling some of the longer hair on his head. It was another action the cat boy did whenever he was nervous or thinking hard. It was much closer to the former now.

The others began came fairly quickly. The first was a strange, short girl with a spider. It brought a small grin to her face, as he recognized the species of spider, and how the little being was still only a baby. The other woman set off a warning bell in the cat boy's mind. It was a gut instinct in him that he learned was hard to ignore. The only true thing he could describe about the Fallien woman was that her gash was off putting. The nekomata had scars that matched it, but not in that area.There was a feeling that she was both good and holding a strong trump card close to her chest.

The last one, however, brought a happy smile to the cat boy's face. He did not often see the girl, but Doji Ki was an old friend of his. Though the term friend didn't really stretch to contain all of what they did in their relationship. The girl was also the closest thing Leon had really ever had to a real girlfriend since Morrigon, who herself did not truly count as a girlfriend so much as a roomate. He smiled at her as they embraced, marveling that she still even smiled and looked as beautiful as the last time he saw her. He let her go quickly, though his own face blushed red. It was amazing how something like love can mess with you, even in war.

[Iriah Caitrak]

Ira was neither a particularly sociable person around those she did not know, nor a quiet one, she just didn’t feel like talking very much at the moment. Her mind was else where, thinking of the last moments she had spent with Malagen back in Corone. It wasn’t their conversation that kept repeating itself over and over in her mind but the way in which he’d made love to her shortly before she’d left. It hadn’t just been sex, not to either of them. It had been something more, like he’d been trying to convey emotions to her using his hands and his mouth when words had failed him. Which reminded her of the words he’d spoken on a frozen mountain plateau when he’d thought she’d left him.

“I think I love you.”

Ever since he’d said those words she found herself repeating them over and over in her mind as if there was some mistake and flaw in them. They couldn’t be right, not from him, not from her barbarian. But it was exactly what he’d said. He thinks he loves her. Being a man so far removed from the regular emotions that people felt she knew in his mind he believed what he said, but she knew he couldn’t truly love her. He barely knew her. He probably cared about her, the same way she was just beginning to come to terms with the feelings she had for him, but he didn’t love her. When he did, he would know.

Her short reverie was broken by a sudden influx of excited words. Glancing up from some spot on the ground her eyes had been trained upon but never really looking at, the Calerian turned towards the new comer. It was another female of the same kind of thing that the boy was; only this one had nine tails peeking out from under her kimono. She appeared to know the other two people, embracing the both of them in turn. For some reason though, she underwent some kind of outburst when she hugged the male, yelling about him cheating on her with another woman.

Ira did not see the big deal about him having sex with other people. In Astaka females were allowed to have as many partners as they wished and they were not expected to stay with only one of them.

When she approached her, Ira remained rather impassive about the whole thing. She merely shook the woman’s hand as it was offered.

“Ira Shinkara, Calerian warrior and Ambassador of the Astaka tribe in Fallien.”

It was not a customary thing to shake hands in Astaka, but she was growing used to it the more time she spent out of Fallien and in the other regions on Althanas.

[Moonlit Raven]

A small smile tugged at my lips as Ki hugged me, her exuberance infectious, I hugged her back with and equal warmth. I am glad to see she’s okay. I wondered where she had disappeared to. I turned away from the sight of the embrace Ki gave Leon. For a moment, I felt a small pang of hurt and jealously. I buried the feelings and the memories of happier times with Avery.

I looked around, noting the elven soldiers that guarded the gate, their weary hardened expression barely masking the fear that shimmered in the back of their eyes. Each one I turned to look at either looked away in some other direction or dropped their gaze. I wondered if I unnerved then. Did my palled appearance remind them too much of the undead coming this way. My gaze slid over to the unknown woman that had joined us moments after Ki’s arrival. Without judgment, I looked her over until the shout of Ki’s heated then chagrinned words drew me out of my silent study.

“Elena Alexi-Nito” I hesitated, unsure of if my station made any difference, if I should even say anything about the race that had hidden themselves away for a millennium. Not bloody likely. An odd smile tugged at the corners of my mouth for a second, I squashed it before it fully formed. “Moontae Queen. My pet is Kazimir.”

I stepped around the small group into the cooler shadows of the wall and looked out the gate. The countryside, what I could see of it, looked like any other countryside I had seen before. Yet still the soldiers barked orders, peasants, mages, students and noblemen all scurried about like ants on a burning mound of wood.

“I assume we all got some form of message that we are needed.” I spoke aloud to the others without turning around. “Xem’zund is attacking this country once more. Do we have any additional information as to what our roles are to be in this? What is Xem’zund’s location? Where are his generals? Or are we expected to simply charge forward with little to no knowledge.” A familiar ticking against my cheek cut off my questions. Kazimir looked back towards the group, one of his bright yellow legs tapping my cheek. I turned back towards the trio.

“Are we expected to gather intelligence as we go?” I offered my last question to them in a politer tone despite the unease I felt. “Whatever the situation we should hurry. We stand idle and a army of monsters approaches.”

[Iriah Caitrak]

Ira released the hand of the strange looking female named Ki and turned to the third woman in this group now addressing her and giving her name. The closer the woman Elena got to her the more the corruption stirred within her soul, calling to her and screaming a mess of unintelligible words the Calerian could never hope to decipher. Part of her was curious as to what it could tell her and another revolted at the thought of communicating with such a thing. Still there was something about this Elena that unsettled her and the Calerian was going to figure it out one way or another. For now though, it was not important, the mission and the journey before them were. And the answers to all the questions posed by Elena were as well.

Glancing around, Ira eyed the nervous soldiers and the scared natives as they rushed beyond the gates. Their voices were a buzz that never seemed to die from the wind and the words upon it were nearly lost to the Calerian. Some of it was Common but that which was spoken in Raiaeran was nothing more than gibberish to her ears as she could assume Fallien would be to theirs. She understood their sense of overwhelming panic and anxiety all too well, for this was not her first war. The civil war that had broken out in Fallien had been devastating to the region and the people. No one in her generation would ever forget it or the scars it left upon the desert nation. There still lingered the threat of it reappearing, for the Harpies still roamed the mountains and the cultists still hide in their underground ruins.

Thinking about the war made her unconscious reach up and run her fingers along the vicious looking scar on her neck. The clean looking circular puncture marks closer to her jaw line, and the ragged and rough looking scar beneath it where it literally looked as if her neck had been torn open by a vicious animal. And it had, only the animal came in the guise of a human.

“Come,” Ira said, addressing the group, “We can continue our discussion outside the walls of Eluriand, time grows short.”

It was natural for the Calerian to just assume a position of authority, though this was not the most adequate mission for her to do so. She didn’t know the lay of the land, the people or even the true origins of the threat. In fact she knew very little about the threat, as the enemy was a great mystery to her. As a Calerian she could sense souls, but reanimated bodies did not have souls and therefore she could not sense them. One could stand but a foot from her and she wouldn’t know it unless she could see or hear it.

Nodding to one of the soldiers, Ira led the group out the massive gate and to the other side of a wall that spanned the entire length of the city. Never had such a simple act felt so final before. With the gate being closed behind them with a resounding thud of wood meeting stone, Ira knew she would not see the inside of that magnificent city again. Not unless the war turned in their favour. Resoundingly enough to her, the burning city that Gereint had shown her in her dream had been Eluriand.

[Reiko]

I was jealous, that must have been it. My pride was too great to admit how much of a hypocrite I was to even think about holding Leon's nightly romp against him, for I've had my own lovers and not exactly in the best places either. Something had just came over me that got my blood boiling and it pretty much fell on deaf ears. They ignored my outburst and politely gone on as if nothing happened. The scent wasn't gone and it heated my blood again.

What was wrong with me. Maybe I could slap him after the battle but we had to work together. My tails puffed up and flicked like angry cobra. I had to release my frustration and anger by sending my hand in some short slaps. Get control of yourself! Part of my mind screamed as everyone started to leave out the gate.

Elena asked some questions but I forgot to answer, I was still caring about Leon's infidelity and trying to keep my self from doing something stupid but outside the gate the cool air cooled my head.

The land outside was so pristine, the sky was a bright orange as the sun drew closer to the mountains before hiding the world from it's life giving light. The trees looked like they more alive than normal and it made it hard to think that a legion of death would come crashing down.

With the calming view of nature and the cool wind to chill the boiling blood I could remember the words and questions of my friend.

"Sorry, I was kinda of lost for a moment. Anyways I'm guessing we'll have to play by ear." I smiled in apology. Elena must think me nuts or stupid for my behavior and I really was starting to feel the same.

I probably shouldn't be here like this; Heroes and warriors need to be clear headed.

[Artifex Felicis]

The cat boy was off his ground, a formidable feat for many to do so, but apparently not hard enough to do. The other two seemed to be fairly competent people, as well as nice for once. It was a rare thing that the nekomata didn't deal with those whose egos were inflated far beyond what they could actually accomplish. Still, even if those two were indifferent, as they appeared at least, Ki still was angry with him. As good as it was to have help and see an old lover, this took a wrong turn somewhere along the line. He welcomed Ira moving all of them outside of the gate like a starving man welcomes warm, fresh bread.

The outside air was brilliant, though he could taste the corruption in the air. The magic of the Necromancer was strong, and Leon had several ideas of how it worked its way around. The most likely was that the Necromancer himself would need to be still and focused, in order to keep such a powerful spell active. Stories of risen trees, snakes, bears and even injured body parts corrupting under the enemies will reached the cat boy's ears. While it was unlikely that they could find him quickly, Leon had a sneaking suspicion that Xem’Zund was far more vulnerable now then at any other time.

“I know a few things Elena,” Leon answered openly to the group, even though only Elana asked the question. He spoke her name with a slight twist of the tongue, though he didn't notice it. He walked carefully, double checking his weaponry and trying to calm his anxious tails from betraying his emotions too much. Getting caught by Xem’Zund still seemed preferable then having Ki correctly accuse him of infidelity again. “I know that he isn't directly in front of us, but leaving through the gate closer to him would be near suicide. I saw much of the layout, and reasonably small forward party that was kinda close to this gate.”

“Besides,” The cat boy grinned a little, showing several of his pearly, and altogether too sharp, teeth. “I'm kinda certain that they are a scouting party. I didn't see anything that big or any siege weapons. So we should be good. I'm kind of hoping we'll get some information from this group, and then see how it'll go from there.”