Dreamwaking: Chimera - Sacrifice.

[Carnath-Emory]

The slip of paper is snapped from Rhaena's hand, and the swordswoman's features allow a slow, thin frown as she flips the page open, sweeps it with a cursory glance. Without a word, she flattens it between her fingers, lifts it to face the trader's eyes.

If they die, you die.
If you die, they die.
Use me.
Keep moving.

To these four lines, the recording tool presently known as Rhaena Olwak is made to bear witness. Hours, days, weeks from now, there will be no confusion as to how those instructions had read.

Now .. this slip of paper is let to fall discarded from Ariane's fingers, exchanged for a more industrious pursuit; they are weaving the dark ponytail into a braid of thin and elaborate design. Peaceful, mundane work, as if Karolinger's knife weren't alive and lively in his hands. As if Karolinger's questions hadn't been spiralling towards such an inevitable conclusion. As if Calomel's eyes weren't so watchful.

"I go as far as that person's worth," she's replying to Aeryn now -- but with a sudden grin, the moment after it. "Isn't that how I'm supposed to answer you? Cold as a mercenary with a taste for adventure? Ah -- no. That's for him." A tilt of small chin towards Calomel, now. "That's the sort he'd favour. You..."

Her small features soften into an easier smile.

"For you, it should be: 'Well, Aeryn, how far would I go? There's only one way for you to find out.'

Yes? Like an invitation.

Like permission."

But even as she speaks the words, a slow shake of her head denies them utterly. 'Yes', questions her voice, but all around them the world breathes its frigid refusal.

"Really, Aeryn Karolinger, really ... I think that my own answer is that I don't care to answer any more questions. Best we move now, mn? Those are voices, down there."

[Vanidor]

"Ha! Ha! Yes. You see what I mean, then." Yes. The knife was alive in his hand here, turning slower now, as he turned to move with the swordswoman.

A good view of his back. And his backside, here, for both Rhaena and Cinnabar, as his step would fall into line with Ariane's.

"Questions. Fuck them. This place. Fuck it. Ha. The rules. Well, you do unde-"

He stopped. Eyes focused downwards upon the fleshy slope. "Well. Fuck me with a pike. Agnieszka! Hoy!" And the man waved his hands at the duo that marched upwards the mountain of skin and puss and... what have you. Here, Calomel, Ariane, Rhaena. Even you as well, the hidden but watchful Kurt and Seth, and you as well, Burnie. Here was a -joyous- face amidst the hellish landscape.

"Prick me, but this is a fine place to meet, eh. Promise no to stab me this time, if I give you a kiss." This was called down at the two of them. It was meant for Agnieszka, of course, but well. Glenn could accept it as well, perhaps. As long as he didn't -accept- a kiss from Aeryn.

[Lent]

It would have been for the best if they had moved on long before, to tell the truth. Now? Now it was just a little too late. Karolinger, Cinnabar, Ariane. All of them were skilled at combat. Rhaena certainly had skills of her own. In normal circumstances, this might make sneaking up on them all but impossible. These were not normal circumstances. The landscape itself seemed to be hiding Lentham and Bloodmoon, right until the moment that the twisted trees all but gave way and he emerged. The Kaczmarek misfit might not be there to stab him, but the Constable certainly was.

Lentham saw Cinnabar out of the corner of his eye. He saw Ariane. The girl he did not know, but it would not have mattered anyway if he did. Nothing would matter now. The Constable, deranged as he was by his experiences, by this place, by the thought of Karolinger hiding behind elves for the rest of his days had acted first. Upon emerging he had rushed forth with his falchion. He had swung the blade towards the ex-Marshall. Aeryn may have been the better warrior, but Lentham had a definite arms advantage.

Even if it struck, it would not be a killing blow, at least not immediately, but that was more a matter of nerves and inexperience than intent. Instead, the falchion would slice downwards at the man's side, towards the arm, towards the ribs, towards the hand where he held that knife. It was the sort of a strike that could rend flesh from bone, that could cut off bone itself. Lentham had not lost his composure in such a manner since Haberdasher's Row. He meant to kill Aeryn Karolinger and he may not hesitate to cut down anyone who got in his way.

[Seth_Bloodmoon]

Seth could only curse under his breath a what was about to occur. Aeryn's moment of happiness at the arrival of Agnieszka does not go unnoticed. This was not the time or the place for revenge to be had. However, it was too late to prevent Kurt from seeking such for the man was in motion and seeking to kill Karolinger.

Seth was in motion now, following in Kurt's path, right hand drawing Twilight Heart from its sheath as his left hand moved to tug the knife, with 'Use Me' on its pommel, free of his belt. Familiar faces are noted and this causes a deep frown to take hold of elven features. Damnit all to hell, he should have done something to stop his companion before now. Now it was too late. Now was the time for action. The tall elf did not like this one bit. This would not end well.

"Get Karolinger out of here!" shouted to no one in particular. These words might just earn the tall elf Kurt's hatred. As might the tall elf's actions for he would try to intercept Kurt's attack with Twilight Heart's blade if at all possible. He did not know who might be linked, if others were stuck in this place in that manner, to Kurt's target. Whoever it might be did not deserve to die if the Detective Constable managed to kill Aeryn.

[Jirai]

A shake of her head for Calomel as Ariane snatched the note from her hands, holding it before her eyes. She'd read it before, and now again, to satisfy the swordswoman. "No one. We've seen no--" Ah. But there are voices, now. "...Perhaps that changes."

And she moved, quick steps taken to catch up to Ariane and Aeryn, bronzed eyes searching - and finding Agnieszka and Glenn. See how her expression then changes to be a match to Aeryn's!

But yet again there is something else to grab her attention, a shout and a lunge all too close. Without even thinking, the girl is grabbing for Karolinger and pulling, trying to tug him out of the way of the blade moving at the corner of her eye.

[Jirai]

"You don't know what "fun" is, Tebrin." The woman purred as she stalked along. She did not glance back at all. "...Perhaps I shall enlighten you."

Here she paused, staring at one tree-like object closely. In fact, she even prodded it with a finger before shrugging and continuing past it. After that, it would be some time before she stopped, one hand raised. Head tilted slightly, listening intently to still-distant sounds.

"Hah!" A quiet exclamation for herself, and the woman set off once more - this time with steps full of purpose and direction.

[Malaroth]

“I once held one of your kind imprisoned in a blade,â€

[channe]

As she runs closer, her reactions form for other faces: a strange look at Ariane being one of them, as the dream-land holds things for them they'd rather not encounter again; happiness, for Rhaena; a strange half-warmth for half-warm Cinnabar, who is both savior and antagonist for this particular peasant wretch. But at last, there's joy --

"Well, not with a pike," she calls back in a jolly tone of voice to Aeryn, not having a single clue as to the tense moment between him and Ariane that she's in the middle of interrupting. "Not a knife either! I promise --"

And she stops in the middle of her sentence to witness these two -- the friendly, unknown elf who had smiled at her a few times in the tavern and Lentham -- emerging from the bloody brush with weapons alight, and her words stop.

Her body does not.

She's still somewhat far away, but she's running, traversing the space as fast as she can; she means to stop you, Lentham, and that knife in her hand might tell you how.

[Cinnabar]

Interesting conversations, and welcome - for the alternative is something worse, something altogether more violent, more fitting to this visceral landscape. So there's a nod for Rhaena, breath taken ahead of some comment on how fortunate it is that they encountered one another at all in this wasteland of flesh; but then Karolinger looks aside, and Calomel's gaze turns to follow, then to blink as he steps a touch closer for a better view.

There's a grin and a hand raised in greeting for Agnieszka, and for Glenn further back, left behind as the girl hurries to meet Aeryn. It's something he can only be ambivalent about, this reunion; for all that the mercenary had spoken of how bad they were for one another, he seems disinclined to act upon such. But, well, one takes comfort in what familiarity one can in a place like this.

So, a cheerful meeting here, rendered all the more glad for the fact that it provides a stark contrast to the vile surroundings; some unhurried steps towards the spot of this gathering, with Rhaena and Glenn, Agnie and Aeryn, and those others wandering in their wake. But then there's some burst of movement, and grey eyes flick to follow, and there's a flash of recognition soon to follow -

"Lenth- no!" A shout as that blade is drawn back and brought down at the mercenary, the outlaw, and in that instant, at the sight of the Constable's face, the single-minded murder in his gaze, the situation becomes horribly clear. In the instant after that the Governor is moving; blindingly fast, bare feet finding purchase that leaves the ground bleeding in his wake, the slope of the hill add to his speed as he sprints headlong at the Constable and the mercenary. The last dozen feet are covered in a desperate leap, a dive, arms outstretched to grapple with the Detective Constable, to bowl him over or bear him to the ground or knock his legs from beneath him, heedless of the blades being swung or brandished around the hunter and his quarry.

Whatever it took to keep Lentham and Karolinger out of blade's reach of one another.

[Tebrin]

"I'll take a rain check," He muttered under his breath, emerald eyes shooting daggers at the woman's exposed back. At some point, self-preservation wouldn't stay his hand. After all, what kind of a place was this to live, anyhow? Better to die amidst the muck and grime than to live in it.

"Besides..."

I saw what you did to Suede, he had been about to say. But then came Jirai's exclamation, and her hurried gait, and Tebrin's quickened alongside. He even went so far as to stand just a foot behind her and to the side. Well within arm's reach, for those counting.

"What is it?" He hissed, blunted ears far less keen than the ebon-skinned woman's own.

[ShadowRose]

'.. I can feel you, Sarayn; your heart beating, the short of breath catching in your throat.. your -confusion-. And when I find you, my beloved, it will be my blade that ends your life..'

Her blue eyes widened at the voice in her head, and she whirled suddenly, peering past the following Azale. It had been her brother's calling.. and she knew then, that he was hunting.. for her, for them. Quickly, and without another thought, the drowess removed the ring from her finger and tucked it away between the valley of her bosoms, soon to turn a cold tone of voice to her companion in this hell.

"He comes for us, Azale.. We must be ready."

[Jirai]

"Besides what?"

Oh Tebrin, do you really wish to see her reaction to what you had been about to say? It might prove interesting.

"Voices." That was what it was. And she sounded quite satisfied.

[ShadowRose]

And as the line to their internal communication was cut, the drow male shed the chill of a smile and kicked into a run toward his sister's last known location, skipping over arteries and streams of liquid excrement alike with effortless ease and agility. Soon, he knew, he would be face to face with his sibling and wretch of a nameless woman--a victim of his ruthless violation. And it wasn't far.

Behind him, he hollered out to Rei, "Follow quickly! I have found our first victims.."

[Glenn]

As far as happy looks go, Glenn's own was tempered by the fact that these people that he cares for so deeply: Cinnabar, Ariane, and of course, Rhaena, are forced to go through this hell as well. Ariane, he is not particularly worried about. There is an incredible amount of confidence in the woman and what she is capable of, and capable of handling. It is almost blind. Cinnabar and Rhaena, however, he would rather be spared from this.

All of that didn't mean he wasn't selfish to see them. He was always happier when close to them, especially Rhaena. Aeryn, he could give or take. He liked the man well enough, but he did not always seem all there. Yes, though, for now he was smiling like Agnie, like Aeryn, like the Olwak girl. There was no sense at all of antagonism between Ariane and her, at least not to Glenn, not here and now.

And then, there was action. Lentham he did not recognize. Seth was his friend and he would know him anywhere. Regardless, the attack he understood easily enough. Who was connected to who? Did it matter? The death of any of the three would be horrific. Cinnabar, Ariane, and Rhaena were three of the four most important people in the world to him. Bloodmoon was on a fairly short list as well.

Yes, it was in his personal interest for Agnie to do nothing fatally foolish, but he was not thinking like that. Cinnabar and Agnie was towards Lentham. Rhaena was toawrds Karolinger. The mapmaker was heading straight at the girl he cared for so very much, meaning to get her out of the thick of the violence. The distance seemed endless however. Others, such as Ariane, were closer. Lentham and his blades were closer. It was all happening too quickly and he would arrive after the first blow no matter what.

[Raveness]

Her green eyes gazed at the knight before her. Her feet wanted to run, run so very far away from this place, what ever cursed land they were trapped in. Although, her mind echoed to her that they must stay together and the note reinforced that they should. If the note spoke the truth that is and Lavender wasn't willing to deny the facts written upon it. At least, not yet.

"You trapped an angel inside a blade? But why?" It would explain a lot about the man, if he had captured his own guardian angel and placed her inside a blade. The thought almost made her laugh out loud, but she managed to stifle it with a cough instead. A cough that once was started, could hardly be contained in this filthy atmosphere.

Once the woman managed to gain her composure, she blinked her eyes at him. "I am not here to finish any job. I just want to get out of here. Please." She pleaded with him with her eyes and her heart. What if we are both prisoners here? How will we escape?

As he began to climb she watched a moment, afraid to follow, afraid to fall, afraid to touch the horror of what lay within the soil. The gem in her collarbone however, began to glow more brilliant the farther away he got and with great trepidation, Lavender began to follow. More afraid, it seems of what horror the gem could do if he got to far ahead. We must stay together, her mind whispered to her.

She hadn't need to climb too far on her own, before he turned and was reaching out for her with his hand. There was a brief hesitation, for a fraction of a second, before she placed her delicate hand inside his much larger one as he helped her to the top. Her eyes closed and she held her breath, terrified to see what lies in store for them, what other disasters await beyond the borders of this already disgusting land.