Ambush at the hot springs

[Daggertail]

(closed to Chidori)
Now this was the perfect place for an ambush. Eris was really sure of it when she felt the hot water against her skin as she submerged herself in a hot spring. Salvar was so damn cold but it was the best place for bandits if they could survive the weather. The merchants would count on the harsh environment to keep the bandits away and save a lot of coin on guards.

But that meant more Coin for Eris. She smiled warmly while lowering her body to having just her nose above the water. This was like the good times when she didn’t have to wait in the cold for her prey and she would chase after them on her boat and enjoy the comforts of being captain.

“Um Captain, we should get ready for the ambush.”

Eris jumped up and looked at Kozo who stared back, making the demoness blush and cover her self.

“I am getting ready, can’t a girl relax before a job for one minute. I’ve been so tense and cold that my tail might snap off.”

“Ok captain… then can I relax with you.”

“No, girls only in this pool, use the other one.” Eris giggled as she splashed her underling. He was so silly sometimes. “It’s perfectly fine.” Eris finished as she huddled back in her hot spring. “Just a little while longer. What’s the chance of anyone coming at this exact moment in time.”

Eris continued to relax and presumed that Kozo did the same since it was being really quiet. Yup this was the way to pillage and plunder. Who knew that a cold damn place like Salvar would have such a paradise to hold an ambush? Well Eris was happy since she got to relax a bit while planning her plundering.

It seemed like a good day for an ambush too, the summer still had melting snow and the mud would slow down any carts. Eris was a novice of banditry but she knew that the coming caravan will be moving at a snails pace.

“You’re going to Prone if you stay in all day.” Kozo began as the thought crossed his mind.

“Ok that was uncalled for, are you trying to ruin my fun.” Eris t6hen lowered her head in the water to fume.

“You wouldn’t let me join you in the pool and I was feeling lonely.”

Eris looked at her crewmember. “Don’t you know anything, men and women don’t share hot springs unless they’re lovers.”

“No one’s here and they won’t care.”

Eris gave up, he was right but she wouldn’t admit it. Still she was captain and he wouldn’t join her unless asked to. “Alright, but not now, I have to think.”

[Chidori Draconid]

“No need to worry. Leave your feet on the ground and the two of you will get used to the heat.”

The nude divine couple froze for a second following the advice of the elderly man getting dressed in front of them. Chidori glanced over to see a constipated look of pain on the face of his love. That was probably the ugliest face he had ever seen Avakra make as hir lips and chin crinkled and lifted, and the skin between her thin eyebrows wrinkled and folded. Her eyes were halfway closed as she quietly squealed in pain. Chidori could understand. His feet felt like they were burning on the heated wooden floor, but he decided to do his best to remain calm. After a few seconds of bearing the pain of burning feet Avakra squealed. She couldn’t take it anymore and she started hoping up and down, her knees almost hitting her chest.

The young deity calmly lifted his feet “It doesn’t look like we have the stamina to take such extreme heat, good sir.” He said as he looked at the robed old elf with a smile. “This may not be our niche. We consider lukewarm springs and quiet fireside dinners as a getaway.”

It was then that Chidori realized that he had nothing to get away from. Yes he was on Althanas to find what he would come to symbolize as a God when he returned to heaven, but he didn’t expect to find it overnight. His current schedule consisted of either finding adventure or finding something to do with Avakra, both of which were for his own amusement almost. He suddenly found this entire concept of a vacation a little trivial. What are we vacationing from? Chidori thought in his head knowing that his psychic darling would be able to hear his auditory thoughts.

“Hey.” He heard her familiar voice as her hand wrapped around his. She tried to look as serious as she possibly could while rocking from side to side on each foot still trying to avoid the heat of the floor. “We’re vacationing from Raiaera, our home, our guardian, your task on Althanas…” she glanced to the side with a confused look, her amber eyes narrowing in contemplation. “I… think. Right?”

She saw what he was getting at. Their life was a vacation. One could run with the excuse that the two of them were hoping to see more of Althanas, but if that were true they’d be at Knife’s Edge taking in culture, not in an isolated hot spring in the middle of nowhere. That was an idea. After this we go to Knife’s Edge and really soak Salvar in? Chidori was getting used to speaking to Avakra through his thoughts.

“Are you sure you don’t read minds?” She said jokingly as she followed him out to the hot spring. The water was clear save a few heat bubbles foaming on top. The young deity skimped over the rocks and touched the water with the big toe of his right foot. Before he could comment on how hot it was Avakra pushed him in. He just managed to keep his head from going under, but the water seemed blistering hot for a moment.

“Ah. Damn! Damn! Damn! Ha…oh…” Within seconds the water went from unbearably hot to comfortably warm. How did that happen?

Avakra’s honey colored silhouette descended into the water with grace and innocence as if she hadn’t done a thing. He rolled his starburst grey eyes as she glanced at him with a look that said What did I do?

“Love ya.” Chidori said randomly with a chuckle as he rested his chin on the top of her head of long black hair. As guilty as the young deity felt for having such a good life, he wasn’t going to trade it for the world.

[Daggertail]

Something was amiss; Eris could feel it in her relaxing muscles as her ears perked to the churning of water, it wasn’t Kozo who was in site and perfectly still as a stone and a little further away. Eris moved from her personal spring and shivered in the chilly air of summer Salvar.

The demon girl had to see what made that noise or gamble away her planning and scheming. She didn’t take the time to dress since it wasn’t cold enough to kill her but only speckle her smooth skin with goose pimples and shiver a little. But if the plan turned sour it might kill her.

Closer the naked rogue stalked towards the hot spring in question, her mind silent with apprehension and curiosity. It might be a bathing animal or a stone that just decided to fall with no provocation. But soon the pool showed to be people, a pair of lovebirds who thought to have some private time in a hot spring. Eris knew what would happen as soon as they got bored of the water and that just might complicate things.

Eris went low and slowly slid herself into the water like and amphibious snake going for its prey. She slinked into the water hoping the couple would be oblivious and be caught unaware. Eris couldn’t help but smile at the mischief she was going to pull as she let out a few bubbles. That’s not good; the demon girl swam trying to stay along the bottom of the spring.

How lame, this spring’s nowhere near hot. These two must be spineless! Eris hasted toward the couple and emerged with quite a splash and a giggle before refilling her lungs.

“Scared ya?” She said with a smile and sat herself on a rock as she made a study of the pair. There were lovers who loved for money and loved for politics and these two seemed to be lovers for beauty. They probably thought it was love for love but Eris was sure it was physical attraction on both parts. Not to say it was a bad thing, Eris did like the view of the two and she didn’t mind trading a nice view of her sitting on a rock and dabbing her toes in the slightly warm water.

“You two are a little too close to my temporary home for me to ignore. I really wanted some privacy but your luck sorta ruined it. Couldn’t you get this at a city bathhouse?” She realized that these two might be knowing more than she thought. “Well since you’re here maybe you can help.”

Better use a half truth. Eris blushed a little. Bad luck to lie while naked. Eris looked at the two lovers, they seemed human but even they could help her out. “I’m liberating some slaves today and really didn’t want to have anyone see me prepare. But I’ll give you a choice to help or leave. Though you’ll have to pay me for the inconvenience.”

She smiled and went a little closer to the two naked lovers and she smiled. “I’ll give you a cut of the salvage that they will undoubtedly leave behind and if you do really well maybe something extra.” She said the last bit with her special tone of lust. It was the truth that she wouldn’t mind having one of them with her to celebrate the victory. Maybe both if she wasn’t too tired from the raid.

“So what do you say? Some poor souls would be eternally happy for your help.”

[Chidori Draconid]

“So what do you feel like doing when we go to Knife’s Edge?” Avakra said as she stroked Chidori’s wavy black hair. It was getting longer, and fast. It had gone from a trim cut to an unruly length of curls on the side and waves on the top. That wasn’t the only thing about him that was changing. His entire mass felt tighter because his muscles were clenching. That was the result of constant fighting without stretching. If he wanted to keep the dancer’s physique that his mother made and his darling fell in love with, he’d have to begin stretching or focusing on stretching maneuvers whenever he fought.

“Hey, Chidori.” His eyes met Avakra’s. “Is something wrong? Are you listening?”

“No.” He said with a smile. There was no use in lying to your psychic significant other. “I got lost in your stroking, but to answer your question, I have no idea. I guess the first thing we’d have to do is find a tour guide. I know Salvar’s known for its slave trade, but I’m not dealing with that. What kind of a nation do you have when its identity revolves around ice and Althanas’ only significant slave trade market? Yes the others may do nothing to stop it, but Salvar’s the only one that generates it.”

“Those poor men and women. To know that their full life’s potential will never be met because they’re stuck in servitude to help someone else meet their full life’s potential.” Avakra pondered for a moment and it was almost as if a light turned on in her head. “I know what we should do! Let’s get some money from Nu Gua, buy some slaves, and send them to her, so she can let them go or prepare them for freedom.”

The Goddess Nu Gua was the mistress of the grand Ethiopia Estate, their current home, and although she had a giant staff none of them were slaves. Any one of the two hundred servants could leave at any time just as she could kick them out at any time. They each had grand bedrooms the size of Chidori and Avakras, and the way things ran there they experienced just as much luxury as the mistress. For those in her household who were former slaves and sought to have a life outside the Ethiopia Estate, Nu Gua offered to teach them a trade before sending them out into the world. Now that was productivity in liberty, but Chidori had another idea.

“We could also send them to the Allester House in Scara Brae. I did promise them if I happened to free any more slaves that I would send them there.” It was a promise Chidori intended on keeping seeing as the house of fifteen former slave women was barely functional. After having been violated and put on sale by a crew of vagabonds they were afraid of being outnumbered by men. That was pretty much everywhere but the property of the Allester House. They needed more hands if they were going to survive past harvest.

“And what would happen if you didn’t send any?” As sorry as Avakra felt for them, Chidori didn’t have to read her mind to know that she didn’t like the women. He hadn’t revealed to her how dire their situation was. All she knew was that every time he visited them he was surrounded by fifteen women who otherwise never saw a man, and Chidori was the man who liberated them. Every time he went he’d invite Avakra, but she refused. She considered it a test of her trust in him and his loyalty to her. They both passed in flying colors, but it was the Allester women Avakra didn’t trust.

“Some of the more promiscuous ones will keep pursuing me.” That would be enough to convince her. The young deity wasn’t going to flatter himself, but he couldn’t deny the fact that some of the Allester women pursued him simply to attempt to pay him back for freeing them.

“To the Allester House,” Avakra said with haste and humor. “Especially if we find some men.” She knew it was petty and a little selfish of her, but they both took each other’s flaws with a slight dash of humor. Not even the Gods were perfect.

Chidori laughed as he embraced her. “I knew you’d understand.”

“By the way.” Avakra said as the lay her head on his chest, “We’re about to have company. From the sound of it we’re pansies for picking the cooler side of the spring.”

Even with the warning the splash startled the both of them. Avakra could only hear the thoughts, not pinpoint them. People rarely rehearsed what they were about to do in their heads in an auditory manor. At least, in this situation, Avakra could determine that the intruder wasn’t dangerous. Or was she? Chidori turned to see a pale knee and decided to stop there. It was almost as if this girl had heard the conversation the divine couple had as she offered to take them on a mission of liberation.

“Let’s do it.” Chidori said with a smile, “Is there anything you can get from her?”

“Yes.” Avakra stood on the tips of her toes to get her chin over Chidori’s shoulder and make eye contact with the red girl. “I know its bad luck to lie while naked, but I think you’re only cutting your bad luck in half by hiding half the truth while naked. I’m willing to go anyways if you are, Chidori.”

Chidori looked into the girl’s red eyes avoiding having to look at her naked body. “We’ll help you. Just give us a minute to change.”

[Daggertail]

That was easy, did they even listen? Eris smiled at her good fortune as she started to nervously trace her tail though the water. While they did agree, the female was staring strait in the demoness’ eyes like she was trying to cow an animal while the male was trying to avoid looking at Eris’ feminine perks.

But they did agree and that was a start, then the comment of the female stole Eris’ breath like a demon cat. “Um er… what are you talking about?” Eris meeped as her hands went to her mouth. Now she truly felt naked. Her body was one thing she liked to show off but this was her mind and her secrets. Great timing that the boy should start staring at her. Eris felt like the eye contact was boring holes through her mind and they might as well be to see the girl helpless against their prying eyes into her mind.

Please don’t look at me like that!

Eris turned her head to look at them sideways though the corners of her eyes. Maybe if they don’t look at me like that they can’t see in.

Eris then nervously giggled in hopes of gaining some strength to pull through. Sure they agreed but they could change their mind at any time. “Great! With you’re help we should help free those poor souls…” …and fill my poor empty wallet.

The two needed to get changed and Eris giggled and nodded. These two are going to be all about work aren’t they, no fun, didn’t even listen to my bonus proposal, their loss.

“Kozo, fetch my clothes please!” Eris yelled as the big ogre ran up with her clothes scrunched up in his hands, he was already dressed, must have gotten bored in the hot spring. “Thank you.” Eris grabbed the shirt and shorts while quickly dressing.

Once done she came to the couple, not caring what state of clothes that they were in. “By the way I’m Eris and this is my subordinate, Kozo.” She wagged her tail in a friendly manner thought Kozo was really glad that he was not to close, seen a few people get too close to her happy tail and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

“Well anyways about the plan, I’m going to ambush the coming caravan and free the slaves they are transporting, we’re in the perfect place to see ‘em coming and sneak in. They’ll have other treasures than just slaves and I believe they’ll have a shipment of weapons that if we can free and arm the slaves then we’d have a good chance of taking the whole caravan.”

getting us as much treasure as we can carry. Eris smiled but lowered her eyes with a blush in hoping they won’t hear her thought like a bathing virgin hopes the perverts couldn’t see her nude body because of the surrounding plants.

[Chidori Draconid]

Chidori thought back to the last comment his girlfriend made. What was that all about, half truths and nudity? A sly smile appeared on Avakra’s smooth face. Today was a day of discovery for the young deity. First he had the pleasure, or lack there of, of seeing the ugliest face his girlfriend could ever make. Now he had the pleasure of seeing the most sinister face his girlfriend could ever make. The look was directed at their new guest as she gave them the details of their unlikely task. All the while she tightened her grip around Chidori. He could tell by her breathing and a slight jiggle of her torso that she was laughing on the inside then he put two and two together. Avakra was responding to every auditory thought she could hear in the red headed girl’s mind. She was thoroughly enjoying making her pay for not being completely candid with the divine couple.

“Up!” Chidori said as he rolled his eyes at Avakra’s mischief. Being the gentlemen he lifted her up out of the water by the midsection and followed behind.

The two of them found themselves back in the changing room after only minutes in the hot spring. That floor had to have been exceptionally hot because they weren’t struggling to keep their feet off the bottom of the spring or even the hot rocks lining the water. Here they were though, once again walking in place because they couldn’t handle the dry heat of the wooden surface. Avakra proceeded to dry Chidori off with a towel, but he did not do the same. He just stood tall with his arms folded across his chest giving her a condemning look. He had waited for the day that he could give her the silent stare, and today was that day.

“Aren’t you going to dry me off?” Avakra asked with a confused gaze into Chidori’s eyes.

He didn’t respond, and he even made sure to silence his mind so that all she got from him was a simple condescending eye. She knew what he was doing. This was payback for the handful of times she had given him the silent stare, and as much as she wanted to resist it, she knew that the young deity’s resolve would keep him from speaking to her all day and possibly even into the night until he got the information he wanted out of her.

She let a few moments pass and then she answered. “She’s in this for selfish reasons. From what I’m hearing from her, there’s more than just slaves on that caravan.”

“Is she a bandit of some sort?” Chidori asked as he began to run a white towel across her muscular stomach.

“Most likely.” Avakra continued drying him, patting his upper back. “Do you still want to do this?”

“Well to be honest with you, yes, I still want to do this. I’m not all that surprised that she’s an outlaw of some sort. Judging from what we’ve seen so far it would be fitting for her demeanor. Besides, we’re doing this for selfish reasons as well.”

“Selfish?” Avakra was honestly surprised by that statement. “Why are we selfish for doing this?”

“Think about it. It could be a number of reasons.” Chidori stepped into the legs of his black silky pants as Avakra pulled them up for him. “We could be doing this because we don’t want to spend money just purchasing the slaves and setting them free. Yes it’s Nu Gua’s money, but she could be using it on us. Or we could be doing it because we want rumors of the divine couple raiding a caravan to spread along the Salvarian countryside. Or we could be doing this because we have a simple desire for adventure.”

“The latter is disturbing.” Avakra said as Chidori fastened her form fitting pants with a buckle. They were a deep oceanic blue perhaps symbolizing her origin as the divine daughter of the ocean. “Adventure in our situation almost always means that we have to go to battle. I don’t think there’s been an adventure where we haven’t had to kill someone or something. If we like the thrill of adventure, and evidence points to that, does that make us bad people?” With that said she stopped dressing her partner. Instead she became lost in contemplation as she looked upon the silver embroidery on Chidori’s kurda shirt.

“Way I see it.” Chidori said as he grabbed Avakra’s shirt from the hanger. It too was blue. “We’re just as bad, but no worse than our bandit ally out there. Yes, we kill, but I’d like to think that we’re doing right by Althanas because those whom we’ve had to kill haven’t been very good people. I just hope that we don’t see the day when someone on our side is lost.”

Just then the red headed bandit entered, with no concern that the both of them were topless, and introduced herself as Eris. For a second the two of them covered themselves up, but quickly came to the realization that Eris and her assistant had seen all this before.

“Chidori & Avakra of the Ethiopia Estate in Raiaera.” Chidori said with a nod and smile.

Wow… That was a mouthful.

Chidori chuckled and turned to Avakra, “Why yes it was.”

“Hm?” Avakra looked dumbfounded at the young deity. “I didn’t say anything?”

“Really?” Chidori pondered for a moment then shrugged it off as he continued to dress Avakra, finally getting her fully clothed and putting a white fur cloak over her blue ambiance. She did the same for him and they ended up looking like a pair of polar bears.

“By the way.” Avakra said with a wink, “We’ll be having plenty of fun. We have access to everything we need, so you can keep whatever loot you find. Just promise us if we find a couple of things we like that we can keep them.”

[Daggertail]

Ethiopia Estate, better take note to leave that place alone. Eris made a rather serious face at that note. Saying the girl was completely without morals would be a lie since she did have a thief’s honor and if these two helped her out without fuss or a back stabbing she would at least think of them as allies and not targets for her next heist.

They sure talked funny since it seemed that they were responding to some unsaid words but then again they were nobles to Eris and nobles were always quite funny. These ones were at least abolitionist and were willing to go with Eris’ scheme to right the sins of their noble brethren.

She watched them dress and occasionally looked to Kozo who was looking away to give them some modesty. Why did I get stuck with the biggest prude in the Shadow Seas. I think these two looked better naked. Those coats just look silly, especially in summer. Eris smiled again as she wondered if these two required everything to be moderate, Salvar was still cold but not that cold in summertime. “And yeah if you see something pretty you want then by all means have it though just don’t keep all the good stuff for yourself.”

Eris cringed when she thought that those two would be listening in but they weren’t doing that stare and she felt slightly better for that. Wagging her tail with impatience she made the decision. “I think I’m done with waiting, I’m sure they’re close so lets go up that hill.”

Eris bounded towards the incline and started to hop from stone to stone like a mountain goat that was afraid of the mud. “Careful of the mud, it’s slick.” fell down yesterday, not fun. Eris blushed again hoping that they wouldn’t get the idea of the demon girl covered from head to toe in mud like she was.

Luckily it was a short trip up the hill and they got a nice view, Eris could see the valley all greened up for the summer and it was quite pretty though the chill Salvar wind made her shiver slightly, she was dressed for a summer in somewhere warmer but she didn’t care. The caravan was in sight with the people looking like bugs in the distance but that distance would close fast, hopefully out of mind of the merchant guards.

“We’ll get down there and sneak into the caravan. There should be some weapons in transit and we’ll steal those first and give them to the slaves as we remove their shackles. This should allow them to help fight off the guards.” Giving me free reign to the goods! Eris smiled at her plan.

“I think it would be best for Avakra to be the distraction, I’ll be needed to get through any locks and Kozo and Chidori will help with moving the weapons to the slaves, they’ll hopefully grow a spine when armed and out of their chains.” She also seems to be the smartest after me so she would be perfect to lead the merchants on.

[Chidori Draconid]

“And this is what happens when Nu Gua teleports us.” Avakra said as she rolled her eyes. She had heard the thoughts of the bandit and figured, it was warm enough in the fertile strip of Salvar that they didn’t need such things. Before their Goddess guardian had teleported them they didn’t know which part of the icy continent they were going to be on, so it was safe to bundle up just in case. They had been teleported straight into the hot spring, so they had no clue of the surrounding area. “It’s too warm out there for this isn’t it?”

“Probably. Eris doesn’t have this much on.” Chidori said as he slid the cloak down his arms. Avakra followed suit then they both followed Eris and her giant assistant. Chidori began his preparation for battle by covertly summoning his Stellar Energy. The inherent ability of his mother could not be seen with naked eyes unless he chose so, but he could feel the seven chakras within his body begin tingling. At any point in time after this he would be able to create a concentrated projectile of plasma hot energy and launch it without yielding to drag or lift. Lately he had learned how to manipulate it even further by wrapping the blue hot energy around his fist and blade, adding a burn to his hit. Maybe he could try something new today.

Avakra’s preparation wasn’t so discrete. The water vapor in the thick moist mist began to condense into visible drops of water that fell to the ground. Once on the ground they crept along like slugs and snakes with the group of marauders. The morsels of liquid even hopped from rock to rock to avoid the mud as they made their way towards the incline. She knew she had to gather up as much as she could. The tactical advantage of water manipulation wasn’t in the element alone. It was in the pressure. This was her other gift as the divine daughter of the ocean. The Godly personification of the ocean had dreamt of her for three hundred years until an infant Avakra washed up on shore nearly twenty three years ago. The dreams accounted for her psychic powers, while the fact that the ocean was her father accounted for her water manipulation. Chidori had always wondered what his love looked like as an infant or child.

He put that vision aside as the caravan came into view. It sauntered along the emerald valley like a five segment caterpillar while dozens of smaller creatures escorted it. The thought of four mantises preying upon this giant bug brought a light smirk upon Chidori’s face as he reached for his… He’d left his sword cane in Raiaera. His smirk was quickly replaced by a face of panic as Eris briefed them. Both he and Avakra were unarmed. No weapons! No weapons! No weapons! That was all he could communicate even in thought, but when Avakra looked to him he made a gesture as if he was holding a staff. She knew what he was talking about. She could use a crossbow, and he’d never fought without his trusty sword cane. It looked like the two of them would need weapons anyways.

Chidori turned to Eris with wide starburst grey eyes in surprise from his realization. Then there was the suggestion that they use Avakra, his one and only as a distraction. “We have two problems. Number one, we’re both unarmed. Don’t get me wrong we’re both able fighters without them, but we’re going to have to strategize with that in consideration. Number two, there’s no way I’m going to let her be the focus of a couple of dozen armed, armored and dangerous men! Let me…” He stopped as he watched the last of the liquid critters creep over the crest of the hill. That meant Avakra was well on her way to the caravan. There was no stopping her now. Calling her back would only give all four of them away. All Chidori could do was follow the plan. With desperate haste and genuine fear for Avakra, the young deity lunged forward and slid down the hill by way of dew glazed grass.

****

The divine daughter of the ocean walked at a brisk pace slightly forward and ahead so that she would end up well ahead of the caravan. Her water followed picking up dew as she walked along. By now the water she commanded had become a large cluster of animated liquid reaching twenty feet behind her. Once she got on the road she was where she had planned, and it took a while before the caravan came into hearing range. Listening to auditory thoughts was the same as listening to people speak. Avakra had to be within hearing range of them to actually hear what they were saying in their heads. She was hoping to catch something that would give away the position of any weapons. She could only defend herself for so long with the water she had gathered. Then it would run out and she’d have to resort to a few weak psychic powers.

There were thoughts of boredom until she came into view. Then there were perverted thoughts as naturally there should have been. These men had probably been away from women for quite some time now, but that meant it was more dangerous for Avakra. She would use her water powers for ranged attacks. If there was no victory in sight once she drained herself she would have no choice but to retreat. Chidori would then call upon his father and the two of them would be swept away on the back of a golden dragon. However, she hoped it would not have to come to that. Not just for the sake of her safety but for the sake of Chidori’s pride and path to heaven. Not once had the young deity called upon the aid of his parents or the Gods above, and to call upon them would make him a coward in their eyes thus slowing down his path to greatness.

Still there was no avail after moments of listening in on their thoughts. A good half of the merchants and guards were visual thinkers, so there was no hope in attempting to hear what was not being said but seen. She couldn’t do that. She would have to resort to hitting the most critical areas hoping to expose something she and Chidori could use to their advantage.

Avakra stood shoulders square facing the large front wagon as the four horses stopped forty feet in front of her. An escorting guard from each side began to approach.

“Is there anything we can help you with, madam?”

Avakra didn’t respond. Instead she held her right palm out. The men thought she wanted them to stop, but in reality she was aiming. Her target was the very center of the wooden wagon, where the grey wooden panels were the weakest. Finally it was time.

The water morsels hopping, slithering, and sliding all around here seemed to disintegrate in a sped up evaporation process. In the blink of an eye her right hand was holding a sphere of compressed pressurized water, which shot out at the caravan. Avakra did not wait to see the results as she knew the guards would be ready to retaliate. Instead she turned in a circle, making like she held a rope in both hands. By the time she got back around she did. It was a long cerulean rope of pressurized water that came around to knock one guard off of his feet. She simply allowed it to splash onto the other guard. It was enough of a distraction for her to run back up the incline.

****

The young deity could only watch as the guardsmen of the caravan shifted towards the front in haste as Avakra’s water projectile shot through the first two wagons of the caravan. The head wagon’s front and back panels broke at almost the same time as gold and jewelry poured out of both sides like golden waterfalls. The projectile broke through the front panel of the second wagon, but poured out of the back as it could not hold its strength any longer. Luckily that wagon was the weapon wagon, and a wooden chest came floating out on top of the water and landed on the ground half open. Chidori could see the various blades inside glistening in the Salvarian sun. Even though he was now running at his fastest pace, he was still out of range of the two front guards. She had done the right thing though. Instead of attempting to face them head on she simply did what she could to disable the caravan and then retreated.

Even as Avakra neared him she was entering the range of a bowman, who was coiling back his deadly bow. Chidori came to a sliding stop as he held his palm out. Although he did not have to do what Avakra did, he felt like aiming with his hand would increase his accuracy. Never to much for his love. His eyes ignited like a pair of supernovas as a concentrated mass of blue hot plasma formed in front of him and shot out towards the bowman. Unfortunately the enemy caught sight of the glowing gas just in time to roll out of the way. Instead of hitting the bowman it hit the back wheel of the second wagon, which had already been broken into.

[Daggertail]

Eris was glad that they took off their coats and the like; they still looked like nobles but at least not overdressed to the point of silliness. Sadly they had no weapon but if everyone followed the plan that would not be a problem, for arming a two extra people seemed like nothing once things got underway.

Eris smiled she was sure her plan would work and so they went down to meet the caravan, the demon girl taking her time and trying to stay out of sight and not get muddy at the same time, though some trick that Avakra was doing was sucking the water from the mud and leaving it so she didn’t have to get her feet all muddy though it made her follow closer than she would like. Wow she must be some Wizard to do a trick like that, didn’t know she had such skill. Eris though as a compliment but then she saw the distraction, diving behind some rocks in hope of not being seen.

That’s not what I meant by a distraction!! Wizards, they think they’re so smart until someone gets by their Flash, Bang, Boom! Eris fumed for a moment as she unsheathed her short sword with a curse. “Not you too!” The hybrid hissed to notice that Chidori was joining in with the flashy assault with an explosive ray. Things were not going according to plan as the guards were well aware of the attack and Eris wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

I can always sneak through the chaos while they fight the two off, sadly can only get a handful of stuff that way.

“Kozo, stay close to me and stay low. Those two are nuts and I don’t want you to join them in the graves. Let’s get in and get out with some goods and call it a day, just like that time when we snuck aboard those two navy ships.” Eris whispered to her large friend who nodded and followed her footsteps as stealthy as the big guy could.

Sadly the fight wasn’t going well for Chidori, he was in the view of a competent archer, doomed to die at that range. Eris sighed as she felt a nagging feeling in her gut. She brought him in this and his girlfriend who was now a notch below Kozo on Eris’ ranking of intellect. Ok why should I feel guilty over them, they’re the ones that had all the bloodlust that couldn’t wait for me to free and arm the slaves. But still she felt a pang of guilt and decided to help the poor guy out. The demon girl jammed her sword in the mud as she reached in her shirt, pulling out a throwing knife. You own me for this. She thought with her tongue sticking out in concentration. This throw had to work. Eris moved her hand ready to throw her knife and then snapped and released. She cared not where the dagger would hit and it nailed the bowman’s thigh.

Eris didn’t wait long when she heard the archer cry out and she went strait for the cart that she thought held the slaves. But then she was no longer hidden thanks to the act of charity that saved Chidori’s life. Eris found out that she was being chased when a blade almost chopped her head off, though sadly for Eris the only way that she could escape the blow was to fall in the mud. Great, this plan’s as good as dead… And I’m A mess Eris rolled over and in doing so got her back dirty too and blocked a sword swipe with her claw. This guard wasn’t fooling around but he didn’t notice the girl’s tail before it harpooned his shin and sent him down on his back as well. Eris got up and grabbed his sword. The leather armored man was the only one that noticed her heroics and that was good as Eris still had a chance to get to the slave cart and work at the lock to keep thieves out and the goods from running off. “Kozo, go get the weapons.” Eris ordered her large blue companion but he didn’t hear, fighting off another swordsman with his sheer strength. The demon girl sighed. “Do I have to do everything?”