Under the Desert

[Doomsday]

(Closed to A Nony Mouse)

(Nony has bunny permission to finish the thread as a solo)

The Casinos of Trenyce filled the duties of taverns in the black desert. They were the places that people went to relax from work and adventure. People came to them for drinks, rest and most of all gambling. Elfin Gambling was a bit safer than most other gaming for the elves had honor and wisdom and patience. People only lost everything in a Raiaeran casino if they were dumb or drunk enough to bet it all.

But people still lost it all and the one dancing elf girl was one of those poor foolish souls that got a bit too intoxicated while gambling and so was now owned by the casino to pay her debt for the next few years. Her sad gaze and sexy dance had told a lot about her duties and that she too was a prize for a lucky and smart gambler.

But Jineh had other things to worry about than a stranger who danced to excite men even though she still found herself glancing at the woman of better assets. The cat girl flicked her tail and turned her gaze back to the bored. She was playing a strategic board game, much like chess but while it was mostly strategic there was an element of luck since a roll of two dice decided if a piece was captured.

Jineh was doing well as she could for just starting out though the hawk-faced elf across from her was smiling. He was a weasel of an elf with angular features and a serpent’s grin. To say that Jineh wasn’t worried would be lying. The Felin was also annoyed, for this elf was gloating to two friends how he was going to ‘spank’ this kitty girl and then show the elf dancer a good time.

Jineh really wanted to win just to spite the elf boy. But her strategy wasn’t the best and was hasty.

“Mistress, you’re going to lose.” Arachne climbed up on the table and pointed at the pieces. “See that he has you surrounded, only a few moves more.”

Jineh blushed and looked at her mechanical companion. “No, it’s not over. I still have a chance!” Her tail was puffed up with ire.

She had to win this game or she would not find out the location of the ancient lab that held the treasure that she needed. And the hawk-faced elf was the one with the key. Jineh had found out about the ruins through her research and that there was a diary of an ancient elf that practiced mana magic instead of song magic and how he had created an object that radiated the magic of earth. These crystals would be garbage to the normal treasure hunter, pretty but nothing else until it was utilized through enchantment. Jineh was sure to get a stone from this hunt, but only if she won the key.

The elf laughed as he placed another piece, a few squares from hers. “Next move it’ll be all over, though I might give you the key if you join un in bed.”

Jineh curved her lips down then opened in a feral look of anger. “No!” She yelled and then made a gambit of attacking with her equivalent of a king. The elf left his own prime piece open in his aggressive strategy that he thought no opponent would risk attacking with their own commander, But the cat girl just launched the gambit.

Jineh smiled as she shook the dice and rolled as did the elf. The dice clattered and all that watched the table were silent at the bold move that rendered the whole ideal completely up to luck. One thing to note about Jineh’s species is that their creator had put all the best qualities of cats into them like sharp ears and soft tails but it seemed that he also infused with them a cat’s luck as Jineh had roll dual sixes, the best result.

The cat girl smiled widely as she took the key and several patron cheered to see the weasel lose as the dancing girl sighed in relief. The game was over and as soon as Jineh could find a good partner, the real adventure would begin.

[A Nony Mouse]

Sickly yellow light poured from the windows lining the filthy street. Dark alleyways wandered away from the safety of the main road and wound their way amongst the unassuming buildings. Vandals had struck many of the blank surfaces here, carving their marks or writing obscene phrases before fading back into the night. Trenycë was a stain on the canvas that was Raiaera; a stain Travis was sure that the elves would love to forget.

Few people walked the dismal road that divided the city in two. Three Bladesingers patrolled outside their chapterhouse, a drunk peed on a wall not far away, and two female lovers sat near Travis. They leaned toward one another; close, but not touching. The adventurer averted his eyes nonetheless; he wanted no trouble.

He had left his home only a few weeks ago and traveled clear across Althanas to the elven region of Raiaera. The pompous elves had been accommodating, but cold. That was simply their way. Travis hadn’t taken offense, but he hadn’t truly enjoyed his stay in Carnelost. Regardless, he had taken up a position working in the tavern during the day. It paid well and he had the evenings free to scout out the city; he made a few acquaintances and shared many stories of his brief travels. Then others had shared their tales and Travis had been blown away.

These men and women had traveled far beyond the borders of the world that he knew. They had sailed past Fallien and Scara Brae, out into the open ocean to explore. Innumerable islands dotted the horizon there, they told. They had roved north, beyond the icy reaches of Salvar and into the uncharted territory beyond. It hadn’t taken them long to turn back, but they had seen creatures there which appeared in no records as of yet. They had traveled past Dheathain and into the mysterious eastern continent; the people and weapons found there had been as varied as a person could imagine. Their stories enthralled Travis and he made fast friends with them.

A far cry from the people here, he thought wryly. Lucht du Sol, they had called themselves; courageous adventurers all. Eventually they even invited Travis with them, an invitation he accepted with great enthusiasm. The redhead sighed, so much had happened since that day.

The seven adventurers had been sitting in the tavern that they frequented when in Carnelost, exchanging stories and trading ideas for an upcoming journey. Spirits flowed freely in the place and soon a small scuffle broke out. One of the men, an older dwarf by the name of Dordal Farmalk, rose from his seat to break up the fight. Instead of ceasing their aggressions, the two knuckleheads turned on the dwarf, forcing the rest of the group to act also. It didn’t take long for the entire tavern to join in and soon a full-scale brawl ensued.

After the dust had settled and the troublemakers had been kicked out, Dordal noticed that one of the scholars of the group was nowhere to be found. Zyiat Aucoin had disappeared without a trace.

And so the group had split up, sending members to each of the major elven cities after scouring Carnelost. The beloved Zyiat was nowhere to be found. A day of traveling and searching for clues had led Travis and Dordal to Trenycë, the crime capital of the region. Dordal had no doubt that they would find Zyiat here. For the elf’s sake, Travis hoped he was right.

The dwarf had gone off to ‘gather information’ which meant that he was going to rough up some of the street rats and figure out who had been trafficking what lately. While he did that, Travis had agreed to scour the gaming rooms for a lead. Looking down the gloomy street, the red-haired adventurer felt very out of place. What did he know of crime?

Shaking his head and quashing the uneasiness welling within him, Travis strode past the now-intimate couple and headed toward the first game room he saw. After a brief search, the guard let him in and he pushed through the door, unsure what to expect on the other side.

[Doomsday]

Jineh held up her new ‘key.’ The item was a bronze medallion with elfin writing on it about the size of a gold coin. She smiled as she took out a parchment and compared the words and found they matched.

“Miss Jineh, don’t you think it’s too easy. And why would the key be made of bronze and not gold?” Arachne asked which caused Jineh to lower her tail and blush in a moment of uncertainty. Sure the Felin didn’t lose anything for her luck but she risked a fair amount of gold if she lost.

The cat girl stood still for a moment and then smiled. “The words match and there’s no reason for the key not to be bronze.” The queen felt her spirit uplift as she thought about home. “There’s a good reason it isn’t gold. Enchanters’ would use gold in their magic and so didn’t use gold for non magic. It’s why back home we used teeth of monsters as currency instead of gold.” Jineh was feeling light as a feather as she placed her prize around her neck and gave a winning look at the weasel of an elf.

The elf spat and left the casino by stomping out and would have bowled over a human that was coming in if the doors weren’t as wide as they were.

“Wow! He’s a sore loser.” Jineh said, feeling her smile running away. She felt a little guilty for rubbing it in.

“Mistress Jineh, I believe that he isn’t done with you yet. I don’t think you should leave right now.”

Jineh had a feeling her mechanical friend was right. Something said that the elf was setting something up for her. An ambush. “You’re right, I guess I’ll need a plan to get out of here.” The pink cat girl chewed her lip as she listened to the casino’s singing stones’ soft hymn of cooling as she thought. “I have a feeling there’s going to be more than one.” Jineh’s hearty sank. She wasn’t a fighter and as soon as she went into the dark and warm streets she would likely lose any fight if an ambush did occur. “I’m going to need help.”

[A Nony Mouse]

Glaring lights and stale air greeted the adventurer. He was almost bowled over by a grimy elf that looked less than happy about something. Side-stepping to avoid a collision, he took a good look around the room. A bar dominated the far wall, housing nearly every bottle of alcohol imaginable to the young traveler. Two stages were set against each wall and musicians, dancers, and performers gathered there to entertain the crowds. In the center of the room, tables of all kinds stood around, enticing one to test their luck in a game of chance.

Travis saw a familiar game being played not too far away and he walked over to the half-full table. “Need another player?” he asked.

“Ach, ah suppose,” the thick-bearded gamemaster responded. “Twelve gold to join then,” he added after counting the heads present. The game was a strategic game called Catura Vada, one Travis had been playing for years. Many of the older men in his home town had met in the local tavern to play each other for entire afternoons. When he wasn’t off practicing his pole fighting or helping his father in his shop, young Travis had learned the game. It seemed that he had a knack for it; he always won.

The redhead tossed twelve coins on the stack and the gamemaster proceeded to rake in the gold from the rest of the table. “House adds six gold, one fifty total in the pot. You may begin.” The man to Travis’ left rolled his ten-sided die, getting a sum of twenty before moving his pieces accordingly. Next it was Travis’ turn and he rolled his own dice. They tumbled across the table, landing with two eights and a nine facing up.

“Twenty five,” Travis announced. He moved his piece nearly a third of the way across the board, heading straight for the safe zone in the middle. The first player to reach that area nearly always won. And a roll of twenty five would be hard to beat. He settled back in his chair and let the rest of the table roll their turns; he had other things on his mind.

He scanned the room casually, looking for anyone out of the ordinary who might have information that he needed. Nearly every other patron was absorbed in a game of some kind and so he narrowed his list down to only a few people; a pink-haired Felin, a bulky dark elf, a human in tattered hunter’s garb, and a half-naked Geomancer. He had to pull his attention back to the game as the man to his left began the second round.

Fifteen spaces from the safe zone, he noted, watching as the man moved his own piece. Unfortunately, he stopped two spaces shy and it was Travis’ turn. The dice clattered against one another until he launched them across the board. A sum of seventeen put him in the safe zone first and the gamemaster turned to face him.

“Fortify, attack, or reroute?” he asked.

Travis’ mind ran over several strategies before making his decision. The first choice was often the most important. Should he play defensively, offensively, or rely entirely on his luck? “Feeling lucky today,” he told the table, “Reroute.”

The gamemaster chuckled and pressed a button near his seat. Instantly, the pieces on the board began to move as if controlled by some unseen hand. Travis watched nervously as every player’s piece but his own randomly jumped around the board. The goal of Catura Vada was to defeat every other player before moving to the safe zone to cinch the victory. By rerouting the entire board, Travis hoped to put the other players close enough together that they would kill each other. Then he could move in at the end and clean up.

The bold move worked out to his favor and the next few rounds had players leaving the table right and left as their pieces were attacked. Within minutes, only two men and Travis remained. The red-haired adventurer kept his piece in the safe zone, fortifying when he could and attacking any time another player got close. Eventually, one of the men attacked the other and failed; he was out. The last player moved in toward Travis’ piece, one simply had to kill the other to win.

In an unconventional decision, Travis moved his piece out of the safe zone. His opponent needed to roll a perfect thirty to sneak past him and take control of the base, so he decided to hold his hand. That forced Travis to roll; anything less than a twenty nine would set him as an easy target for the other man. The gamemaster watched in anticipation as Travis shook his dice, eyeing the board calmly.

The three dice tumbled across the board as if in slow motion. First one ten showed, then a second ten, and the third die continued bouncing. It skidded across the smooth table, a three facing up and the man’s face split open in a grin. But then, as the die came to rest, it shifted and the third ten sealed the victory for Travis.

After he collected his winnings, he turned to survey the room once again. The four he had pegged earlier as possible suspects were still there. Good, he thought. But his focus was shattered as a few vivacious human girls ran up to him and draped themselves across his body. “No one’s ever won Catura Vada that fast,” they complimented. “What else are you good at?” He chuckled at their forwardness and started to answer but they cut him off. “How long you in town? Wanna come back to my place?” They swarmed over him like hungry vultures, not letting him get even a single word in.

He had business; he couldn’t afford this distraction. Scanning the room, he saw both the Geomancer and the Felin getting up to leave. He needed to follow one or both of them, but he had no chance to tear away from the girls. Great, I’m going to blow my chance… Dordal is going to be angry… With that thought plaguing him, he was carried away by the gaggle of girls.

[Doomsday]

“Well this is great.” Jineh stewed as she looked around the room hoping that there was a sign of hope but when she looked at the guards and found no love there. It seemed that if she wasn’t going to gamble then she would have to leave. “I don’t think I can wait here much longer.”

“Perhaps mistress if we leave now, we can escape the ambush before it’s ready but we’ll have to move quickly.” The mechanical spider rose up with a proud feeling running through its gears.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Jineh felt a little weight lift from her soul as she walked to the door. An ambush wasn’t something that happened quickly if it was to work right. If she left now then there was a chance she could lose the angry elf that lost and begin her search for the ruins.

The girl rose and swished her tail anxiously, she wanted this over with. Looking one last time she noticed a human with several girls hanging onto him. Jineh wondered about the women. They seemed to be nothing but gold diggers that used large bosoms to get what they wanted. Sure they made Jineh to look like a tittle girl with underdeveloped body but at least Jineh used her brain to get what she wanted.

“Miss Jin, don’t look at them, we have to go.” Arachne tugged the queen and caused her to follow out into the city.

It was dark but still very warm. Unlike deserts with yellow sand the black sands kept warmth and radiated it throughout the night and so the nights in this desert didn’t go from very hot to very cold but went from very hot to nice and warm.

“I think we made it.” Jineh said as she jogged through the streets to the inn where she kept her supplies.

“Mistress, better make sure your gun’s in working order.” Arachne said as it stopped and Jin stopped a moment later. The Weasely elf was standing there with a wide smile with a pair of warriors to both sides of them. They both had swords and the weasel had a short fighting spear.

“Yeah, I think it’s in working order. But still I don’t think that we can win this.” Jineh moved her hands to her man gun. It felt warm and that feeling warmed her heart. At least she had a surprise in store.

“Now little girl, return the amulet and give me all your possessions. Otherwise, I’ll beat it from you and take everything as well as to ship you to Salvar.”

[A Nony Mouse]

They took Travis to a craps table where they asked him to share his luck by winning in their name. The gambler was confused; did they think he could just win when he wanted to? Maybe it’ll be easier to lose them than I thought. He shook the dice and tossed them into the table, immediately glancing toward the door where the Felin was just leaving. The girls cheered and his attention returned reluctantly to the dice. A six and a four; he had won.

Shaking his head, he gathered the dice and cast them again. This time he kept his eyes on their tumbling numbers and was overjoyed to see two ones staring back at him. “Snake eyes,” the pit boss shouted, handing the dice over to another. The newcomer rolled, getting seven, and the girls immediately made their way across the table to him. How easy their minds turn, Travis chuckled.

Practically running across the room, the red-haired adventurer tore through the door and looked down the street in both directions. A tail disappeared around the corner two blocks away and Travis sprinted in that direction. He was gaining on the Felin; when he caught her he would ask if she had been to Carnelost recently. If she had any information on Zyiat Aucoin, he would find it. And then she would pay.

He whirled around a corner and nearly ran over three men standing in the alleyway near the entrance to a small inn. They had their backs to him and he almost apologized before taking in the whole situation. Each elf carried a bladed weapon and brandished them in the direction of the Felin. Apparently she was the hunted rather than a hunter.

Travis was about to back away when he heard the leader’s demand. Furrowing his brow, the traveler realized what was going on; he was witnessing a mugging. He almost laughed, what did the three elves think they were doing? Going about their business like this where anyone might stumble upon them; it was crazy!

The elves began to close in on the young Felin and Travis made his move. The Akashima redwood spear spun off his back and into his hands. With a long step forward, he sent the polearm whipping through the air to catch the nearest elf in the back of the head. He went down like a log, unnoticed by either of his two companions. However, his sword clattering to the ground drew some attention. The remaining two thugs turned toward the new threat and the leader shouted a curse. “Seems like a fair fight now,” the redhead observed.

By the tone of the elf’s voice, he could tell that a fair fight was the last thing he was looking for. Travis circled around, stepping over the unconscious body to stand in front of the Felin. His protective sense had kicked in; he would guard the stranger’s life at all costs. Not the greatest idea, he mused. But she’s unarmed. The two elves attacked at once, the sword and spear searching for any purchase they could find.

The spear whirled about; knocking the blades wide and then Travis pivoted and reversed the weapon’s momentum. As the elves struggled to recover, he whipped the butt of the spear across the smaller one’s face. Blood spurted from his nose and he dropped his sword, forgotten as he stepped back to nurse his face. The taller elf sneered, “You think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?”

His fighting spear came in fast and Travis barely dodged out of the way in time. He answered with a thrust of his own spear, but the elf was agile. His light feet carried him beyond Travis and closer to the Felin. The Akahima polearm came about as Travis turned, but he feared it was too late. Time slowed as he watched the short spear plunge through the air straight for the pink-haired Felin. A scream of desperation escaped the adventurer’s lips as he thrust his own spear to intercept the elf’s. But there was no chance of stopping the attack; his charge was doomed.

[Doomsday]

Things like this shouldn’t be able to happen in a Raiaeran city. The blade singers were famous throughout all of Althanas; Jineh had even heard about them on her home island. The guards skilled with swords and powerful song magic were widely feared by criminals.

But in the casino city in the black desert there were only so many to go around, therefore allowing the bandits to accost the Kitty engineer. It seemed like there was no way out except fight or flight, and Jineh was paralyzed on which feral tactic was best. Jineh thought that maybe she could talk her way out but her voice failed as she saw something else come close.

Arachne moved close to Jineh to protect her from the bandits since it seemed like they had friends.

Jineh started to shake a bit as she thought that her attackers had friends, but then the form from behind came forward and attacked her foes. The stranger was a human with hair like a flame with combat skills to match as he dealt with two of the attackers and dispatched them.

But there was one left.

The last elf had decided to go for the weakest link. He was going to lose but he was going to take someone down with him and show the hero that he couldn’t save anyone. It was a final sacrifice of vengeance. Jineh’s body moved on it’s own as she pulled the gun from her belt and fired its magical fireball. The girl’s hands were shaky and the orb or fire missed wildly only to hit a glowing sorcerous sign looking like a comely woman in colored lights. The sign shattered and Jineh fell to her knees.

The girl was as good as dead, but the last bandit had forgotten about an important piece of the battle, if he had looked down sooner he would have seen the mechanical bodyguard before it was too late. But Arachne was ready and had braced his eight legs in the sand and held his sword part forward like an alien pikeman and the elf was too late to react as the spider went forward and thrust his blade into the elf’s belly. The fight was over.

Jineh sat in the sand while shaking. If the stranger didn’t come by then who knew what was going to happen to her or what they would have taken. She felt numb with her helpless feeling and hardly noticed the scalding heat of the black sand as her hands sank in. “Umm . . . Th-thank you,” Jineh said as she looked up at the stranger in gratitude. “I-I don’t know what I would have done if you haven’t come around.” Jineh finished.

Arachne pulled out of its blade from the bandit and looked at the stranger. “I apologize for Mistress, for she has been shaken badly. Her name is Jineh, maker of the Felin tribe.” The spider looked at its master and then at the man. “These men were trying to take a key she won fairly. She wanted to use it in some nearby ruins that possess an artifact that she needs for her craft. I’m rather afraid that tonight proves that she cannot do this alone. I humbly ask if you might help her out. She is not rich but there is wealth in the ruins that remained untapped and a share of the spoils should be adequate. Good sir, could you please help her?”

Jineh felt her cheeks go crimson as she realized that her automaton was talking for her and that she was feeling too shy and embarrassed to even talk and with Arachne begging for help it was only getting worse. He’s going to hate me, Jineh thought while looking at the black sand.

[A Nony Mouse]

Maker of the Felin tribe? Travis wasn’t sure about the meaning of the word, but it sure seemed like he had stumbled across the mother of all Felins. Though he knew precious little about the cat-like race, so a more complex meaning might have been lost in translation. The redhead pushed away the discrepancy and focused on what the metal creature was saying.

“You’re leaving me with a lot of unanswered questions,” Travis mumbled in response to the spidery sentinel. Ruins, makers, artifacts, keys; he didn’t know what to make of the night’s events. He just knew that he had to find Zyiat Aucoin before something terrible happened to her. I can’t get distracted by another person’s troubles, he told himself. No matter how much I’d like to help. With sorrow in his eyes, he shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, his eyes darting between Jineh and her bodyguard, “But I can’t. I hope you understand.”

After checking to make sure that the Felin was alright, Travis made his way back through the alley to where his chase had begun. She’s looking for artifacts, not smuggling scholars… I doubt she has Zyiat. One suspect down, three to go.

[Doomsday]

Jineh felt disappointment filling her heart as she heard the stranger reply to Arachne. He refused, sending a shudder down Jineh’s spine. What was she going to do now? Jineh tried her best to speak but all that came was a weak “Thank you.”

Jineh felt nervous and while she wanted to bed and plead for help, she knew it would do no good. The stranger had something better to do and Jineh debasing herself would probably only disgust him. The kitty girl went to the Tavern slowly and up to her room.

Arachne simply watched as it watched its master gather supplies for the adventure. “Do you think you can do this by yourself?” Arachne asked as it moved some of the supplies itself.

The cat girl placed some of the dried fruit that she bought earlier on the bed and sat down for a moment. “No, but I have to try.” Was all Jineh could say?

Perhaps she should give up? Jineh shook her head. “Yes I’m going to do it. I just had some bad luck. I’m sure we can handle the ruins.” The Felin forced a smile and tied up the supplies into a sack and tied it onto Arachne as she grabbed a sun umbrella that doubled as a walking stick.

She was ready . . .

As she would ever be.

Jineh walked back out into the warm black desert night. The cat girl set out with a light step, for the sand would burn if it got into her shoes. The Raiaeran desert beckoned.

“Hey Arachne, I really wish that he could have come.” Jineh said out loud as she walked to the gates. The darkness was great but the moon was bright and lit up the stone towers of the city but not the black sand. It was going to be dangerous.

[A Nony Mouse]

A hardened adventurer would have had little trouble tracking down the other suspects Travis had marked as people of interest. However, the red-haired traveler was very much still green. He made his way back to the game room and asked around about the half-naked Geomancer, but few had seen the man. He got a few leads about the other patrons he had been watching, but the Geomancer’s whereabouts intrigued him the most. Something in his gut told him that the man knew about Zyiat.

He wandered aimlessly about the room, eyeing gamers as he tried to decide what his next move should be. Dordal will know what to do, he realized. Turning about and heading toward the door, he thought about the Felin and her quest. “I wish I could have helped her,” he muttered as he brushed past the guard. “Maybe some other time though…”

So lost in his thoughts was he that he stumbled into another traveler in the dirty streets. “Very sorry-“ he began to apologize but a bared axe shut his mouth quickly.

“Watch where yer goin’,” a thickly accented voice warned.

“Dordal?” the redhead inquired. The dwarf stepped into the light from a lone lamp nearby and revealed his large smile.

“Ah jest be teasin’ ye,” he chuckled, pointing at the younger adventurer’s face. “Did ye get any information?” The pair traded stories and Travis relayed his suspicion of the Geomancer that he had seen in the game room. Dordal nodded and indicated an alley near their position. “Aye, Ah talked tuh some people un dey seem tah think that our best bet is with the very same man. Goes by the name o’ Lexadre the Chosen.” The dwarf snorted in derision, “Sounds a wee bit high un mighty tuh me, eh?”

“So where can we find Lexadre?” Travis asked the older adventurer. Hopefully his informants had provided that information as well.

“Ach, young Travis,” the dwarf intoned, laying a hand on the much-taller human’s back. “Don’ ye worry… jest follow me.” Quickly sheathing his axe, the stocky explorer pivoted on a foot and turned down an alley. Travis had to jog to keep up, even though his legs were much longer. One step closer to Zyiat…